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

peculiar

adjective

as in unusual

being out of the ordinary a writer with a peculiar talent for capturing the feel of everyday conversation

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

unusual
extraordinary
unique
exceptional
abnormal
uncommon
odd
rare
remarkable
outstanding
singular
anomalous
atypical
incredible
exceeding
aberrant
freak
noticeable
phenomenal
especial
striking
unwonted
bizarre
conspicuous
notable
strange
uncustomary
prominent
eccentric
salient
preternatural
aberrated
extraordinaire
weird
deviant
oddball
freakish
incomprehensible
inconceivable
quaint
outlandish
unimaginable
unthinkable
monstrous

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

common
ordinary
typical
normal
usual
customary
familiar
unextraordinary
unexceptional
frequent
everyday

as in strange

different from the ordinary in a way that causes curiosity or suspicion a peculiar and catlike way of walking

Synonyms & Similar Words

strange
bizarre
weird
odd
funny
curious
remarkable
erratic
unusual
eccentric
crazy
abnormal
unique
quirky
outré
offbeat
wacky
quaint
screwy
funky
outlandish
wild
bizarro
extraordinary
kinky
weirdo
unconventional
uncommon
kooky
whacky
queer
outrageous
queerish
fantastic
off-the-wall
outstanding
rare
off-kilter
fantastical
rum
kookie
way-out
freakish
cranky
far-out
striking
conspicuous
atypical
out-of-the-way
noticeable
singular
freaky
freak
prominent
aberrant
notable
puzzling
idiosyncratic
shocking
unwonted
salient
phenomenal
phantasmagoric
perplexing
flaky
baffling
bewildering
spaced-out
uncustomary
confounding
unorthodox
mystifying
phantasmagorical
atrocious
nonconformist
nonmainstream
crotchety
addlepated
out-there

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

ordinary
typical
normal
usual
standard
unremarkable
commonplace
prosaic
average
routine
everyday
familiar
garden
conventional
conservative
unexceptional
common
predictable
workaday
conformist
run-of-the-mill
customary
frequent
regular
habitual
expected
knee-jerk
wonted

as in uncommon

noticeably different from what is generally found or experienced a peculiar response to a polite query about his health

Synonyms & Similar Words

unusual
strange
uncommon
weird
funny
extraordinary
odd
rare
unique
curious
bizarre
singular
offbeat
special
remarkable
unaccustomed
eccentric
abnormal
oddball
uncustomary
atypical
out-of-the-way
queer
exceptional
outré
noteworthy
outlandish
particular
noticeable
notable
aberrant
kooky
irregular
kookie
way-out
far-out
newsworthy

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

common
ordinary
usual
plain
familiar
normal
typical
unexceptional
regular
predictable
expected

as in personal

of, relating to, or belonging to a single person his peculiar way of talking

Synonyms & Similar Words

personal
subjective
personalized
unique
singular
distinctive
particular
private
individualized
idiomatic
patented
individual
characteristic
idiosyncratic
separate
specific
special
privy
intimate
identifying
specialized
custom
especial
express
independent
nonconformist
customized
self-sufficient
self-directed

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

general
universal
popular
public
generic
broad
widespread
common
prevalent
typical
normal
prevailing
regular
shared

as in distinctive

serving to identify as belonging to an individual or group the koala is peculiar to Australia

Synonyms & Similar Words

distinctive
characteristic
distinct
distinguishing
typical
unmistakable
symptomatic
individual
idiosyncratic
diagnostic
proper
identifying
discriminating
classic
diagnostical
common
general
usual
special
particular
specific
identifiable
pronounced
generic
normal
especial
paradigmatic
regular
archetypal
model
archetypical

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

atypical
uncharacteristic
untypical
nontypical

as in specific

of a particular or exact sort a psychopathic killer who took peculiar delight in torturing his victims

Synonyms & Similar Words

specific
special
distinct
precise
sole
express
distinctive
specialized
especial
set
unique
concrete
only
limited
restricted
single
individual
solitary
separate
given
exclusive
specified
lone
differentiated

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

nonspecific
general
universal
generalized
generic
nonexclusive

Synonym Chooser

Some common synonyms of peculiar are eccentric, erratic, odd, outlandish, quaint, singular, strange, and unique. While all these words mean "departing from what is ordinary, usual, or to be expected," peculiar implies a marked distinctiveness.

the peculiar status of America's first lady

While in some cases nearly identical to peculiar, eccentric suggests a wide divergence from the usual or normal especially in behavior.

the eccentric eating habits of preschoolers

The words erratic and peculiar are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, erratic stresses a capricious and unpredictable wandering or deviating.

a friend's suddenly erratic behavior

The synonyms odd and peculiar are sometimes interchangeable, but odd applies to a departure from the regular or expected.

an odd sense of humor

The meanings of outlandish and peculiar largely overlap; however, outlandish applies to what is uncouth, bizarre, or barbaric.

outlandish fashions of the time

Although the words quaint and peculiar have much in common, quaint suggests an old-fashioned but pleasant oddness.

a quaint fishing village

The words singular and peculiar can be used in similar contexts, but singular suggests individuality or puzzling strangeness.

a singular feeling of impending disaster

In some situations, the words strange and peculiar are roughly equivalent. However, strange stresses unfamiliarity and may apply to the foreign, the unnatural, the unaccountable.

a journey filled with strange sights

While the synonyms unique and peculiar are close in meaning, unique implies singularity and the fact of being without a known parallel.

a career unique in the annals of science

单词	peculiar
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 peculiar adjective 1 as in unusual being out of the ordinary a writer with a peculiar talent for capturing the feel of everyday conversation Synonyms & Similar Words Relevance unusual extraordinary unique exceptional abnormal uncommon odd rare remarkable outstanding singular anomalous atypical incredible exceeding aberrant freak noticeable phenomenal especial striking unwonted bizarre conspicuous notable strange uncustomary prominent eccentric salient preternatural aberrated extraordinaire weird deviant oddball freakish incomprehensible inconceivable quaint outlandish unimaginable unthinkable monstrous Antonyms & Near Antonyms common ordinary typical normal usual customary familiar unextraordinary unexceptional frequent everyday See More 2 as in strange different from the ordinary in a way that causes curiosity or suspicion a peculiar and catlike way of walking Synonyms & Similar Words strange bizarre weird odd funny curious remarkable erratic unusual eccentric crazy abnormal unique quirky outré offbeat wacky quaint screwy funky outlandish wild bizarro extraordinary kinky weirdo unconventional uncommon kooky whacky queer outrageous queerish fantastic off-the-wall outstanding rare off-kilter fantastical rum kookie way-out freakish cranky far-out striking conspicuous atypical out-of-the-way noticeable singular freaky freak prominent aberrant notable puzzling idiosyncratic shocking unwonted salient phenomenal phantasmagoric perplexing flaky baffling bewildering spaced-out uncustomary confounding unorthodox mystifying phantasmagorical atrocious nonconformist nonmainstream crotchety addlepated out-there Antonyms & Near Antonyms ordinary typical normal usual standard unremarkable commonplace prosaic average routine everyday familiar garden conventional conservative unexceptional common predictable workaday conformist run-of-the-mill customary frequent regular habitual expected knee-jerk wonted See More 3 as in uncommon noticeably different from what is generally found or experienced a peculiar response to a polite query about his health Synonyms & Similar Words unusual strange uncommon weird funny extraordinary odd rare unique curious bizarre singular offbeat special remarkable unaccustomed eccentric abnormal oddball uncustomary atypical out-of-the-way queer exceptional outré noteworthy outlandish particular noticeable notable aberrant kooky irregular kookie way-out far-out newsworthy Antonyms & Near Antonyms common ordinary usual plain familiar normal typical unexceptional regular predictable expected See More 4 as in personal of, relating to, or belonging to a single person his peculiar way of talking Synonyms & Similar Words personal subjective personalized unique singular distinctive particular private individualized idiomatic patented individual characteristic idiosyncratic separate specific special privy intimate identifying specialized custom especial express independent nonconformist customized self-sufficient self-directed Antonyms & Near Antonyms general universal popular public generic broad widespread common prevalent typical normal prevailing regular shared See More 5 as in distinctive serving to identify as belonging to an individual or group the koala is peculiar to Australia Synonyms & Similar Words distinctive characteristic distinct distinguishing typical unmistakable symptomatic individual idiosyncratic diagnostic proper identifying discriminating classic diagnostical common general usual special particular specific identifiable pronounced generic normal especial paradigmatic regular archetypal model archetypical Antonyms & Near Antonyms atypical uncharacteristic untypical nontypical 6 as in specific of a particular or exact sort a psychopathic killer who took peculiar delight in torturing his victims Synonyms & Similar Words specific special distinct precise sole express distinctive specialized especial set unique concrete only limited restricted single individual solitary separate given exclusive specified lone differentiated Antonyms & Near Antonyms nonspecific general universal generalized generic nonexclusive Synonym Chooser Some common synonyms of peculiar are eccentric, erratic, odd, outlandish, quaint, singular, strange, and unique. While all these words mean "departing from what is ordinary, usual, or to be expected," peculiar implies a marked distinctiveness. the peculiar status of America's first lady While in some cases nearly identical to peculiar, eccentric suggests a wide divergence from the usual or normal especially in behavior. the eccentric eating habits of preschoolers The words erratic and peculiar are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, erratic stresses a capricious and unpredictable wandering or deviating. a friend's suddenly erratic behavior The synonyms odd and peculiar are sometimes interchangeable, but odd applies to a departure from the regular or expected. an odd sense of humor The meanings of outlandish and peculiar largely overlap; however, outlandish applies to what is uncouth, bizarre, or barbaric. outlandish fashions of the time Although the words quaint and peculiar have much in common, quaint suggests an old-fashioned but pleasant oddness. a quaint fishing village The words singular and peculiar can be used in similar contexts, but singular suggests individuality or puzzling strangeness. a singular feeling of impending disaster In some situations, the words strange and peculiar are roughly equivalent. However, strange stresses unfamiliarity and may apply to the foreign, the unnatural, the unaccountable. a journey filled with strange sights While the synonyms unique and peculiar are close in meaning, unique implies singularity and the fact of being without a known parallel. a career unique in the annals of science
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peculiar

adjective

noun

Did you know?

Synonyms

Example Sentences

Word History

Phrases Containing peculiar

Kids Definition

adjective

adjective

Synonym Chooser