particularnessn.
/pəˈtɪkjᵿlənəs/, U.S. /pə(r)ˈtɪkjələrnəs/, /pɑrˈtɪkjələrnəs/ 1. The quality of being distinct from others; individuality, singularity, uniqueness.
ΘΚΠ
the world > relative properties > kind or sort > individual character or quality > quality of being special or restricted in application > [noun] > quality of being particular or not general
particularity1569
particularness1727
1727 N. Bailey Universal Etymol. Eng. Dict. II Particularness..peculiarness, singularness.
1876 F. Bradley Ethical Stud. iv. 135 The predominant character of existence in space and time is, in one word, its particularness.
1949 M. Mead Male & Female xvii. 360 There is need of developing forms of education..that supplement the particularness of the single family.
1977 Amer. Sociol. Rev. 42 820/1 One is making quite strong claims about the uniqueness or particularness of countries.
1991 Boston Globe (Nexis) 1 Oct. 30 His pursuit of the nothingness of Zen initially leads him back to his hero, Thoreau, then to the very particularness of consciousness and the created world.
2001 Irish News (Nexis) 12 Oct. 27 Eels have once again proved themselves to be something of an oddity on the music scene. They seem to revel in their own particularness.
2. The quality of being attentive to details; preciseness, fastidiousness.
ΘΚΠ
the world > action or operation > manner of action > care, carefulness, or attention > [noun] > scrupulous care or attention to detail
chariness1571
minuteness1640
exactness1645
particularity1669
nicety1711
exactitude1735
narrowness1817
particularness1859
scrupulousness1863
detail1868
scrupulosity1879
meticulosity1887
meticulousness1909
the mind > attention and judgement > good taste > refinement > fastidiousness > [noun]
curiosityc1386
delicacya1393
curiousnessc1440
delicatesse1509
delicateness?1529
daintethness1548
exquisiteness?c1550
over-curiousness1573
featness1577
daintiness1579
dainty1590
finicality1594
niceness1604
squeamishness1654
fastidiousness1661
choicenessa1665
overnicety1664
finicalness1675
hypercriticism1678
overniceness1694
nicety1723
over-delicacy1745
daintihood1780
finickiness1833
finicism1844
over-criticism1859
overfineness1859
particularness1859
faddiness1865
finicking1869
picksomeness1881
pernicketiness1890
perfectionism1937
choosiness1945
pickiness1952
1859 ‘G. Eliot’ Adam Bede III. vi. l. 241 You're getting to be your aunt's own niece, I see, for particularness.
1864 H. T. Johns Life Forty-ninth Mass. Volunteers 87 To eat food poorly cooked..making us half believe our friends at home have sent us here as a punishment for the over particularness of the past.
1956 Philos. Q. 6 6 A decision as to the level of detail and particularness to which one is prepared to go.
1967 S. Marshall Fenland Chron. ii. ix. 243 Most folks in our young days were a bit more modest than what they are today, but I allus did think Harriet carried her particularness a bit too far.
1997 Providence Jrnl.-Bulletin (Nexis) 2 Nov. 1 k I love to wallpaper. I like the particularness of it.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, June 2005; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
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