particular

1 of 2

adjective

par·​tic·​u·​lar pər-ˈti-kyə-lər How to pronounce particular (audio)
pə-,
-k(ə-)lər
1
: of, relating to, or being a single person or thing
the particular person I had in mind
2
: of, relating to, or concerned with details
gave us a very particular account of the trip
3
a
: distinctive among other examples or cases of the same general category : notably unusual
suffered from measles of particular severity
This computer program will be of particular interest to teachers.
b
: being one unit or element among others
particular incidents in a story
4
a
: concerned over or attentive to details : meticulous
a very particular gardener
b
: nice in taste : fastidious
She's very particular about her clothes.
c
: hard to please : exacting
never loses patience even with the most particular customers
5
a
: denoting an individual member or subclass in logic
b
: affirming or denying a predicate to a part of the subject
used of a proposition in logic
"some men are wise" is a particular affirmative
6
obsolete : partial

particular

2 of 2

noun

1
a
: an individual fact, point, circumstance, or detail
a hero in every particularRon Fimrite
b
: a specific item or detail of information
usually used in plural
wanted to know all the particulars of the incident
bill of particulars
2
a
: an individual or a specific subclass (as in logic) falling under some general concept or term
b
: a particular proposition in logic
Phrases
in particular
1
: in distinction from others : specifically
2
archaic : a separate part of a whole
Choose the Right Synonym for particular

Adjective

circumstantial, minute, particular, detailed mean dealing with a matter fully and usually point by point.

circumstantial implies fullness of detail that fixes something described in time and space.

a circumstantial account of our visit

minute implies close and searching attention to the smallest details.

a minute examination of a fossil

particular implies a precise attention to every detail.

a particular description of the scene of the crime

detailed stresses abundance or completeness of detail.

a detailed analysis of the event

special, especial, specific, particular, individual mean of or relating to one thing or class.

special stresses having a quality, character, identity, or use of its own.

special ingredients

especial may add implications of preeminence or preference.

a matter of especial importance

specific implies a quality or character distinguishing a kind or a species.

children with specific nutritional needs

particular stresses the distinctness of something as an individual.

a ballet step of particular difficulty

individual implies unequivocal reference to one of a class or group.

valued each individual opinion

Noun

item, detail, particular mean one of the distinct parts of a whole.

item applies to each thing specified separately in a list or in a group of things that might be listed or enumerated.

every item on the list

detail applies to one of the small component parts of a larger whole such as a task, building, painting, narration, or process.

leave the details to others

particular stresses the smallness, singleness, and especially the concreteness of a detail or item.

a description that included few particulars

Examples of particular in a Sentence

Adjective The computer program will be of particular interest to teachers. Pay particular attention to the poet's choice of words. Our teacher is very particular when it comes to punctuation. Noun They wanted to know the facts down to every particular. requested a bill of particulars for the care he received in the hospital
Recent Examples on the Web
Adjective
For Rosé, Kravitz and Bieber, in particular, this was their second time attending Saint Laurent's pre-Oscars event. Stacy Lambe, Peoplemag, 9 Mar. 2024 The crowd cheered wildly for the fighting scenes in the movie, in particular the final showdown between Gyllenhaal and McGregor. Mark Olsen, Los Angeles Times, 9 Mar. 2024 Ali remembers the particular way her mother talked her through long division. Catherine Newman, San Diego Union-Tribune, 9 Mar. 2024 Tequila is a particular favorite of celebs for two reasons. Jordan Valinsky, CNN, 9 Mar. 2024 The narrative returns to a particular set of moments that block Merit from moving on, but later revelations make one wonder if the film should have spent more time exploring other, more insight-rich memories. Lovia Gyarkye, The Hollywood Reporter, 9 Mar. 2024 Hawaii’s four counties, and Maui County in particular, are well-known for lengthy permit processing times. Audrey McAvoy, Quartz, 9 Mar. 2024 The switch that handles applying particular coupons has been affected by the hack. Democrat-Gazette Staff and Wire Reports, arkansasonline.com, 9 Mar. 2024 Guided by a particular and antiquated view of education and the church hierarchy, Sister Aloysius is immediately unsettled by Father Flynn’s interest in Donald. Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 8 Mar. 2024
Noun
This may be a testament less to the particulars of his policies than to his multigenerational roots in the region — his father was a journalist for a P.C.F. publication — and to his persona and his presence in the community. Elisabeth Zerofsky, New York Times, 6 Mar. 2024 And then Asaf and Melissa got into a fight over the particulars of their parent alliance/agreement. Sydney Bucksbaum, EW.com, 28 Feb. 2024 Whatever the particulars, American smartphone imports from China fell, according to Beijing’s General Administration on Customs some 10% in 2023 through November, the most recent period for which such data exists, while imports of laptops from China have fallen 30%. Milton Ezrati, Forbes, 24 Feb. 2024 Despite his considerable skill, Posey’s contributions to high American cuisine largely remain unknown because of his status as an enslaved person and because a lack of recipes in his own hand makes recreating the particulars of Posey’s culinary genius difficult. Ramin Ganeshram, New York Times, 20 Feb. 2024 Almost all of Jackson’s filings speak not just to the particulars of a specific case but to the devastation wrought by the entire Louisiana criminal justice apparatus. Anat Rubin, ProPublica, 4 Nov. 2023 But there is much in the particulars of Japanese experience that makes Saito’s argument locally resonant. E. Tammy Kim, The New Yorker, 1 Feb. 2024 Durant and Stewart shared the particulars of the proposal exclusively with PEOPLE, detailing a Christmas Day engagement in Lake Arrowhead, Calif. Maureen Lee Lenker, EW.com, 29 Dec. 2023 First, my brother’s story shines light on certain particulars. Nick Tabor, Los Angeles Times, 5 Jan. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'particular.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Adjective and Noun

Middle English particuler, from Anglo-French, from Late Latin particularis, from Latin particula small part

First Known Use

Adjective

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 3

Time Traveler
The first known use of particular was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near particular

Cite this Entry

“Particular.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/particular. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

particular

1 of 2 adjective
par·​tic·​u·​lar pə(r)-ˈtik-(y)ə-lər How to pronounce particular (audio)
-ˈtik-lər
1
: of or relating to the separate parts of a whole
each particular item on the list
2
: of or relating to a single person or thing
my particular skills
3
: very unusual : special
a storm of particular violence
4
: hard to please : fastidious
particular about their clothes

particular

2 of 2 noun
: an individual fact, detail, or item

Legal Definition

particular

adjective
par·​tic·​u·​lar
in the civil law of Louisiana : of or relating to a designated property or to the inheritance of it compare universal

More from Merriam-Webster on particular

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!