Particular — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

adjective noun /pər-ˈti-kyə-lər/ par·tic·u·lar

Meaning & Definition of Particular

Particular (adjective)

  1. of, relating to, or being a single person or thing
  2. of, relating to, or concerned with details
  3. distinctive among other examples or cases of the same general category, notably unusual

Particular (noun)

  1. an individual fact, point, circumstance, or detail
  2. a specific item or detail of information —usually used in plural
  3. an individual or a specific subclass (as in logic) falling under some general concept or term

Particular (adjective) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. hard to please

    "she's very particular about the cleanliness of her car"

    similar: choosy, dainty, delicate, demanding, exacting, fastidious, finical, finicking, finicky, fussbudgety, fussy, nice, old-maidish, pernickety (chiefly British), persnickety, picky
    related: hyperfastidious, overdemanding, ultrafastidious, discerning, discriminating, selective, insightful, knowledgeable, captious, carping, caviling, critical, faultfinding, hypercritical, overcritical, careful, meticulous, painstaking, punctilious, scrupulous, queasy, squeamish, peevish, petulant, prickly, touchy, niminy-piminy, prim, prissy
    opposite: undemanding, unfastidious, unfussy
    near: affable, breezy, carefree, devil-may-care, happy-go-lucky, lackadaisical, laid-back, low-pressure, relaxed, flexible, lax, loose, lenient, permissive, uncritical, indiscriminating, undiscriminating

  2. of, relating to, or belonging to a single person

    "that particular mug is Mike's"

    similar: idiomatic, individual, individualized, patented, peculiar, personal, personalized, private, privy, separate, singular, subjective, unique
    related: characteristic, distinctive, intimate, identifying, idiosyncratic, especial, express, special, specific, independent, nonconformist, self-directed, self-sufficient, custom, customized, specialized
    opposite: general, generic, popular, public, shared, universal
    near: broad, prevailing, prevalent, widespread, common, normal, regular, typical

  3. tending to select carefully

    "he's particular about the corn he buys"

    similar: choosy, picky, selective
    related: nice, fastidious, finical, finicking, finicky, fussy, discerning, discriminating, judicious
    opposite: nonselective, unselective
    near: indiscriminate, indiscriminating

  4. including many small descriptive features

    "a very particular account of the breakdown of their marriage from the husband's perspective"

    similar: blow-by-blow, circumstantial, detailed, elaborate, full, minute, particularized, thorough
    related: enumerated, inventoried, itemized, listed, numerated, delineated, specific, specified, abundant, copious, comprehensive, encyclopedic, exhausting, exhaustive, inclusionary, inclusive, in-depth, omnibus, panoramic, thoroughgoing, accurate, correct, exact, precise, complete, entire, replete, distinct, explicit, sharp, mapped (out), descriptive, graphic, picturesque, vivid
    opposite: compendious, summary
    near: brief, compact, concise, crisp, pithy, short, succinct, terse, abbreviated, abridged, curtailed, cut, pruned, shortened, trimmed, ambiguous, indeterminate, nebulous, nondescript, sketchy, vague, bird's-eye, broad, general, nonspecific, overall, unspecified

Particular (noun) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. a separate part in a list, account, or series

    "requested a bill of particulars for the care he received in the hospital"

    similar: detail, item, point
    related: article, belonging, object, stuff, thing, characteristic, component, constituent, element, factor, feature, member, ingredient, division, particle, partition, piece, portion, section, segment
    near: aggregate, composite, compound, conglomerate, entirety, sum, summation, total, totality, whole

  2. a single piece of information

    "everyone wanted to know all the particulars about the forthcoming merger"

    similar: datum, detail, fact, nicety, particularity, point, specific
    related: article, item, component, constituent, element, ingredient, member, part, aspect, circumstance, facet, factor, evidence, exhibit, database, information, knowledge
    near: error, fallacy, falsehood, inaccuracy, misconception, misstatement, myth

Related Entry: In particular (phrase)

In particular is a different word from Particular. The synonyms below are for in particular, not for particular.

  1. in the specific case of one person or thing as distinguished from others

    "She prefers white wine, in particular Pinot Grigio."

    similar: especially, particularly, specifically, in especial
    related: individually, personally, restrictively, selectively
    opposite: generally
    near: broadly, widely

  2. in regard to something mentioned explicitly or in detail

    "Do you have anything in particular in mind for dinner tonight?"

    similar: especially, notably, particularly, specially, specifically
    related: concretely, expressly
    opposite: generally
    near: altogether, basically, by and large, chiefly, largely, mainly, mostly, overall, predominantly, primarily, principally, substantially

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Particular

The most common words with a similar meaning to Particular:

Chiefly British: pernickety
choosy, dainty, delicate, demanding, exacting, fastidious, finical, finicking, finicky, fussbudgety, fussy, nice, old-maidish, persnickety, picky, idiomatic, individual, individualized, patented, peculiar, personal, personalized, private, privy, separate, singular, subjective, unique, selective, blow-by-blow, circumstantial, detailed, elaborate, full, minute, particularized, thorough, detail, item, point

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Particular

Words with the opposite meaning of Particular:

undemanding, unfastidious, unfussy, general, generic, popular, public, shared, universal, nonselective, unselective, compendious, summary

Related Words for Particular

hyperfastidious, overdemanding, ultrafastidious, discerning, discriminating, insightful, knowledgeable, captious, carping, caviling, critical, faultfinding, hypercritical, overcritical, careful, meticulous, painstaking, punctilious, scrupulous, queasy, squeamish, peevish, petulant, prickly, touchy, niminy-piminy, prim, prissy, characteristic, distinctive

Near Antonyms of Particular

affable, breezy, carefree, devil-may-care, happy-go-lucky, lackadaisical, laid-back, low-pressure, relaxed, flexible, lax, loose, lenient, permissive, uncritical, indiscriminating, undiscriminating, broad, prevailing, prevalent, widespread, common, normal, regular, typical, indiscriminate, brief, compact, concise, crisp

Origin & Etymology of Particular

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

First known use: 14th century

Vocabulary Lists & Topics for Particular

Words & Phrases Containing Particular

in particular

Frequently Asked Questions about Particular

What does "Particular" mean?

"Particular" means of, relating to, or being a single person or thing. As an an adjective and a noun, it is defined as: of, relating to, or being a single person or thing. It has 6 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Particular"?

Other words for "Particular" include choosy, dainty, delicate, demanding, exacting, fastidious, finical and finicking. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Particular" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Particular"?

There are 152 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Particular". Common alternatives include choosy, dainty, delicate, demanding, exacting, fastidious, finical, finicking, finicky and fussbudgety.

What is the opposite of "Particular"?

Antonyms of "Particular" include undemanding, unfastidious, unfussy, general, generic, popular, public and shared. Near antonyms include affable, breezy, carefree and devil-may-care.

How do you use "Particular" in a sentence?

Examples of "Particular" in a sentence: "she's very particular about the cleanliness of her car"; "that particular mug is Mike's"; "he's particular about the corn he buys".

Is "Particular" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Particular" can be used as an adjective and a noun, depending on the context.

Is "Particular" useful for IELTS, TOEFL, and other English exams?

As an A2-level word, "Particular" is typical of Cambridge A2 Key (KET), PTE Academic 30–42, TOEIC Listening & Reading 225+.

How do you pronounce "Particular"?

"Particular" is pronounced /pər-ˈti-kyə-lər/ and divided into syllables as par·tic·u·lar.