particular

English

Alternative forms

• perticular (obsolete)

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA: /pəˈtɪk.jə.lə(ɹ)/, X-SAMPA: /p@"tIk.j@.l@(r\)/
• (US) IPA: /pɜɹˈtɪkjəlɜɹ/, X-SAMPA: /p3r\"tIkj@l3r\/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

Etymology

From Anglo-Norman particuler, Middle French particuler, particulier, and their source, Late Latin particularis (“partial; separate, individual”), from Latin particula (“(small) part”). Compare particle.

Adjective

particular (not comparable)

1. (obsolete) Pertaining only to a part of something; partial.
2. Specific; discrete; concrete.

   I couldn't find the particular model you asked for, but I hope this one will do.

   We knew it was named after John Smith, but nobody knows which particular John Smith.

3. Specialised; characteristic of a specific person or thing.

   I don't appreciate your particular brand of cynicism.

4. (obsolete) Known only to an individual person or group; confidential.
   • 1623, William Shakespeare, King Lear, V.1:

     or these domesticke and particular broiles, Are not the question heere.

5. Distinguished in some way; special (often in negative constructions).

   My five favorite places are, in no particular order, New York, Chicago, Paris, San Fransisco and London.

   I didn't have any particular interest in the book.

6. (comparable) Of a person, concerned with, or attentive to, details; minute; precise; fastidious.

   He is very particular about his food and if it isn't cooked to perfection he will send it back.

Synonyms

• See also Wikisaurus:fastidious

Antonyms

• general

Derived terms

• antiparticularism
• antiparticularist
• in particular
• particular average
• particular Church
• particular integral
• particularism
• particularize
• particularly
• particularity

Related terms

• particulars (certain individuals - not used in singular)

Translations

specific; discrete; concrete; a part or portion of something

• German: speziell (de), bestimmt (de), spezifisch (de)
• Irish: sonrach (ga)
• Kurdish:

  Sorani: تایبه‌تی (ku) (tAybati)

• Norwegian: bestemt (no)

• Romanian: particular (ro) m and n
• Russian: конкретный (ru) (konkretnyj), отдельный (ru) (otdelʹnyj), частный (ru) (častnyj)
• Scottish Gaelic: air leth (gd)
• Serbo-Croatian: specifičan (sh), pojedini (sh), konkretan (sh)
• Telugu: ప్రత్యేక (te) (pratyEka)

specialised; characteristic of a specific person or thing

• Romanian: particular (ro) m and n, specific (ro) m and n, caracteristic (ro) m and n
• Russian: характерный (ru) (xarakternyj), специфический (ru) (specifičeskij), особый (ru) (osobyj)

• Scottish Gaelic: air leth (gd)

distinguished in some way; special

• Bengali: বিশেষ (bn) (bishesh)
• German: bestimmt (de)
• Romanian: special (ro) m and n

• Russian: специальный (ru) (specialʹnyj), особенный (ru) (osobennyj)
• Scottish Gaelic: air leth (gd)

concerned with, or attentive to, details; minute; precise; fastidious

• German: eigen (de), kleinlich (de)

• Russian: разборчивый (ru) (razborčivyj), щепетильный (ru) (ščepetilʹnyj), привередливый (ru) (priveredlivyj)

The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables, removing any numbers. Numbers do not necessarily match those in definitions. See instructions at Help:How to check translations.

Translations to be checked

• Dutch: specifiek (1), bepaald (1), nauwkeurig (2), nauwgezet (2), precies (2)
• Esperanto: speciala (1)
• Jèrriais: partitchulyi

• Portuguese: particular (1) minucioso, preciso (2)
• Turkish: tikel (1), kısmi (2)

External links

• particular in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913

Noun

particular (plural particulars)

1. A small individual part of something larger; a detail, a point. [from 15th c.]
2. (obsolete) A person's own individual case. [16th-19th c.]
   • 1603, John Florio, translating Michel de Montaigne, Essays, II.16:

     Since philosophy could never find any way for tranquillity that might be generally good, let every man in his particular seeke for it.

3. (now philosophy, chiefly in plural) A particular case; an individual thing as opposed to a whole class. (Opposed to generals, universals.) [from 17th c.]
   • 1912, Bertrand Russel, The Problems of Philosophy, Chapter 9:

     When we examine common words, we find that, broadly speaking, proper names stand for particulars, while other substantives, adjectives, prepositions, and verbs stand for universals.

Related terms

• universal
• for one's particular

Statistics

• Most common English words before 1923: walked · office · government · #594: particular · charge · church · paper

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Portuguese

Adjective

particular m and f (plural particulares; comparable)

1. private
   • 2003, Lya Wyler (translator), J. K. Rowling (English author), Harry Potter e a Ordem da Fênix (Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix), Rocco, page 400:

     Não devia estar num quarto particular?

     Shouldn't he be in a private room?

Inflection

  Inflection of the Portuguese adjective particular

• Adjectives with this inflection include: irregular, modelar, regular.

	singular		plural
	masculine	feminine	masculine	feminine
positive	particular		particulares
comparative	mais particular		mais particulares
superlative	o mais particular particularíssimo	a mais particular particularíssima	os mais particulares particularíssimos	as mais particulares particularíssimas

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Spanish

Adjective

particular m and f (plural particulares)

1. specific, particular
2. personal
3. private