particular

A2 Topic:Describing Qualities

Also spelled partickler

US /pɚˈtɪkjəlɚ/ UK /pəˈtɪk.jʊ.lə/ See IPA manual

Freq #2003

Meanings

1

adj
Used to talk about one specific thing rather than others in general.

I couldn't find the particular model you asked for.
2

adj
Special or unusual; greater than normal.

She paid particular attention to the smallest details.
3

adj
Very careful and hard to please about details.

He is very particular about how his coffee is made.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 adj · used to talk about one... specific individual

3 adj · very careful and hard to... fussy choosy fastidious

Word family

Forms particulars

Derived forms antiparticularismantiparticularistmonoparticularnanoparticularnonparticularoverparticularparticularisationparticularismparticularistparticularityparticularizationparticularize

Related forms universal

Appears in

Phrases (2)

See all

Proverbs (1)

See all

In heaven an angel is nobody in particular

Etymology

From Middle English particuler, from Anglo-Norman particuler, Middle French particuler, particulier, from Late Latin particularis (“partial; separate, individual”), from Latin particula (“(small) part”). Equivalent to particle + -ar. Compare particle.

*perh₃- Proto-Indo-European particuler Middle English particularis la-lat particula Latin

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Describing Qualities

External links

# particular

**Type:** Word
**Level:** A2
**Part of speech:** adj
**IPA (US):** /pɚˈtɪkjəlɚ/
**IPA (UK):** /pəˈtɪk.jʊ.lə/
**Frequency rank:** 2003

## Meanings
1. Used to talk about one specific thing rather than others in general.
2. Special or unusual; greater than normal.
3. Very careful and hard to please about details.

## Examples
- I couldn't find the particular model you asked for.
- She paid particular attention to the smallest details.
- He is very particular about how his coffee is made.

## Derived Forms
- antiparticularism
- antiparticularist
- monoparticular
- nanoparticular
- nonparticular
- overparticular
- particularisation
- particularism
- particularist
- particularity
- particularization
- particularize

## Related Forms
- universal

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: *perh₃-
- Root: particuler
- Root: particularis
- Root: particula

## Etymology
From Middle English particuler, from Anglo-Norman particuler, Middle French particuler, particulier, from Late Latin particularis (“partial; separate, individual”), from Latin particula (“(small) part”). Equivalent to particle + -ar. Compare particle.

## AI Etymology
Particular comes from Middle English particuler, from Anglo-Norman particuler, Middle French particuler, particulier, from Late Latin particularis (“partial; separate, individual”), from Latin particula (“(small) part”). Equivalent to particle + -ar. Compare particle. The historical chain includes Proto-Indo-European *perh₃-, Middle English particuler, xno particuler, Middle French particuler, la-lat particularis, and Latin particula. Modern senses include used to talk about one specific thing rather than others in general and special or unusual; greater than normal. The wider word family includes derivatives such as antiparticularism, antiparticularist, monoparticular, nanoparticular, nonparticular, and overparticular and related forms such as universal.

## Topics
- Describing Qualities

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