peculiar

1 of 2

adjective

pe·cu·liar pi-ˈkyül-yər How to pronounce peculiar (audio)

: characteristic of only one person, group, or thing : distinctive

… a drowsy fervour of manner and tone which was quite peculiar to her.

Thomas Hardy

: different from the usual or normal:

: special, particular

a matter of peculiar interest

: odd, curious

It seems peculiar that she would leave town without telling anybody.

: eccentric, unusual

The play had a zany plot and very peculiar characters.

peculiarly adverb

peculiar

2 of 2

noun

pe·cu·liar pi-ˈkyül-yər How to pronounce peculiar (audio)

: something exempt from ordinary jurisdiction

especially : a church or parish exempt from the jurisdiction of the ordinary in whose territory it lies

Did you know?

Peculiar Has Latin Roots

Peculiar comes from Latin peculiaris, an adjective meaning "privately owned" or "special" that is derived from the word for "property," peculium. Those words are cognate with pecu, a word for "cattle" that is also etymologically linked to a few English words related to money. Among these are pecuniary ("of or relating to money"), peculate ("to embezzle"), and impecunious ("having very little or no money"). Peculiar borrowed the Latin meanings of peculiaris, but it eventually came to refer to qualities possessed only by a particular individual, group, or thing. That sense is commonly followed by the preposition to, as in "a custom peculiar to America." In time, peculiar was being used specifically for unusual qualities, as well as the individuals that possessed them, which led to the word's "odd," "curious," and "eccentric" senses.

Example Sentences

Adjective As military coups go, this was a most peculiar one, bloodless, and in Bangkok at least quite popular.

Ian Buruma, New York Review, 1 Mar. 2007 Right about then, Ensberg got himself back on the field, where a peculiar thing happened: he stopped thinking.

Tom Friend, ESPN, 28 Aug. 2006 I smell again the peculiar and dynamic smell of Gillespie's science room.

Muriel Spark, Curriculum Vitae, (1992) 1993 It seems peculiar that he would leave town and not tell anybody. The dog's peculiar behavior worried them. She got a peculiar feeling when the phone rang. She had a peculiar expression on her face. See More

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

Most of her interactions are clouded by incomprehension at why things that are so clear to her should seem so peculiar to everyone else.

Jessica Kiang, Variety, 15 Sep. 2022 To some, the 57-year-old music teacher’s obsession might seem peculiar.

Los Angeles Times, 25 Aug. 2022 Companies constantly make changes to their boards, but the timing of McDonald’s board reshuffle seems peculiar, as does the ouster of a veteran director.

Lila Maclellan, Fortune, 26 Aug. 2022 In its own peculiar way, the Drexel statue feels anti-monumental, too.

Philip Kennicott, Washington Post, 23 Aug. 2022 The writing, however, feels particularly weak, trying to tell small-scale stories that capture society falling apart while usually focusing on a pair of characters thrown together in some peculiar way.

Brian Lowry, CNN, 14 Aug. 2022 Kalia, 15, began her reading journey in a peculiar way.

Max Decker, oregonlive, 7 Aug. 2022 The models revealed that the protoplanetary disk—a churning mixture of gas and dust surrounding the twin stars—behaved in a peculiar way, speeding up and slowing down at different intervals.

Jennifer Leman, Popular Mechanics, 2 June 2022 A week later, Bad Bunny revealed the name of his new album in the most peculiar way.

Jessica Roiz, Billboard, 2 May 2022

Noun

However one interprets that, Tyler, the Creator certainly managed to bring the peculiar and the unique to the stage while reaching out to fans old and new.

Chris Willman, Variety, 5 Sep. 2022 Former members who have turned away, in addition to followers of other faiths, don’t want to be this version of peculiar at all.

Gordon Monson, The Salt Lake Tribune, 20 June 2022 And the company is faced with a peculiar (but not uncommon) state law that prohibits car companies from selling directly to customers, which will force the company to take a roundabout route to reach its Texan buyers.

Ananya Bhattacharya, Quartz, 8 Oct. 2021 See More

单词	peculiarly
释义	peculiar 1 of 2 adjective pe·cu·liar pi-ˈkyül-yər 1 : characteristic of only one person, group, or thing : distinctive … a drowsy fervour of manner and tone which was quite peculiar to her. Thomas Hardy 2 : different from the usual or normal: a : special, particular a matter of peculiar interest b : odd, curious It seems peculiar that she would leave town without telling anybody. c : eccentric, unusual The play had a zany plot and very peculiar characters. peculiarly adverb peculiar 2 of 2 noun pe·cu·liar pi-ˈkyül-yər : something exempt from ordinary jurisdiction especially : a church or parish exempt from the jurisdiction of the ordinary in whose territory it lies Did you know? Peculiar Has Latin Roots Peculiar comes from Latin peculiaris, an adjective meaning "privately owned" or "special" that is derived from the word for "property," peculium. Those words are cognate with pecu, a word for "cattle" that is also etymologically linked to a few English words related to money. Among these are pecuniary ("of or relating to money"), peculate ("to embezzle"), and impecunious ("having very little or no money"). Peculiar borrowed the Latin meanings of peculiaris, but it eventually came to refer to qualities possessed only by a particular individual, group, or thing. That sense is commonly followed by the preposition to, as in "a custom peculiar to America." In time, peculiar was being used specifically for unusual qualities, as well as the individuals that possessed them, which led to the word's "odd," "curious," and "eccentric" senses. Synonyms Adjective aberrant aberrated abnormal anomalous atypical especial exceeding exceptional extraordinaire extraordinary freak odd phenomenal preternatural rare singular uncommon uncustomary unique unusual unwonted See all Synonyms & Antonyms Example Sentences Adjective As military coups go, this was a most peculiar one, bloodless, and in Bangkok at least quite popular. Ian Buruma, New York Review, 1 Mar. 2007 Right about then, Ensberg got himself back on the field, where a peculiar thing happened: he stopped thinking. Tom Friend, ESPN, 28 Aug. 2006 I smell again the peculiar and dynamic smell of Gillespie's science room. Muriel Spark, Curriculum Vitae, (1992) 1993 It seems peculiar that he would leave town and not tell anybody. The dog's peculiar behavior worried them. She got a peculiar feeling when the phone rang. She had a peculiar expression on her face. See More Recent Examples on the Web Adjective Most of her interactions are clouded by incomprehension at why things that are so clear to her should seem so peculiar to everyone else. Jessica Kiang, Variety, 15 Sep. 2022 To some, the 57-year-old music teacher’s obsession might seem peculiar. Los Angeles Times, 25 Aug. 2022 Companies constantly make changes to their boards, but the timing of McDonald’s board reshuffle seems peculiar, as does the ouster of a veteran director. Lila Maclellan, Fortune, 26 Aug. 2022 In its own peculiar way, the Drexel statue feels anti-monumental, too. Philip Kennicott, Washington Post, 23 Aug. 2022 The writing, however, feels particularly weak, trying to tell small-scale stories that capture society falling apart while usually focusing on a pair of characters thrown together in some peculiar way. Brian Lowry, CNN, 14 Aug. 2022 Kalia, 15, began her reading journey in a peculiar way. Max Decker, oregonlive, 7 Aug. 2022 The models revealed that the protoplanetary disk—a churning mixture of gas and dust surrounding the twin stars—behaved in a peculiar way, speeding up and slowing down at different intervals. Jennifer Leman, Popular Mechanics, 2 June 2022 A week later, Bad Bunny revealed the name of his new album in the most peculiar way. Jessica Roiz, Billboard, 2 May 2022 Noun However one interprets that, Tyler, the Creator certainly managed to bring the peculiar and the unique to the stage while reaching out to fans old and new. Chris Willman, Variety, 5 Sep. 2022 Former members who have turned away, in addition to followers of other faiths, don’t want to be this version of peculiar at all. Gordon Monson, The Salt Lake Tribune, 20 June 2022 And the company is faced with a peculiar (but not uncommon) state law that prohibits car companies from selling directly to customers, which will force the company to take a roundabout route to reach its Texan buyers. Ananya Bhattacharya, Quartz, 8 Oct. 2021 See More Word History Etymology Adjective and Noun Middle English peculier, from Latin peculiaris of private property, special, from peculium private property, from pecu cattle; akin to Latin pecus cattle — more at fee First Known Use Adjective 15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1 Noun 1562, in the meaning defined above Phrases Containing peculiar peculiar to peculiar to Kids Definition peculiar adjective pe·cu·liar pi-ˈkyül-yər 1 : of or limited to only one person, thing, or place It's a custom peculiar to England. 2 : different from the usual : odd peculiarly adverb as in strangely Synonyms & Similar Words Relevance strangely oddly unusually extraordinarily weirdly uncommonly abnormally queerly atypically funnily anomalously irregularly untypically radically Antonyms & Near Antonyms generally usually commonly ordinarily normally typically naturally customarily habitually regularly routinely natch familiarly See More
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peculiar

adjective

noun

Did you know?

Synonyms

Example Sentences

Word History

Phrases Containing peculiar

Kids Definition

adjective

adverb