particular

UK: /pə^rˈtɪkjʊlə^r/

US: /pɚˈtɪkjəlɚ, pəˈtɪk-/

US: (pər tik′yə lər, pə tik′-)

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026

par•tic•u•lar /pɚˈtɪkyəlɚ, pəˈtɪk-/   adj. 

1. relating to a single or specific person, thing, group, etc.;
   not general:
   [before a noun] one's particular interests.
2. considered separately from others;
   specific;
   distinct:
   [before a noun] a particular item on a list.
3. greater or stronger than usual;
   unusual:
   [before a noun] Take particular pains with this job.
4. overly selective;
   fussy;
   hard to please:
   [be + ~] He is very particular about his food.

n. [countable]

5. an individual or distinct part, as an item in a series:
   In at least one particular the lawyer had caught her in a lie.
6. Usually, particulars. [plural] specific points, details, or circumstances:
   the particulars of a case.

Idioms

7. Idioms in particular, particularly;
   especially:
   Are you doing anything in particular at the moment?

See -par-.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026

par•tic•u•lar  (pər tik′yə lər, pə tik′-), adj. 

1. of or pertaining to a single or specific person, thing, group, class, occasion, etc., rather than to others or all;
   special rather than general:
   one's particular interests in books.
2. immediately present or under consideration;
   in this specific instance or place:
   Look at this particular clause in the contract.
3. distinguished or different from others or from the ordinary;
   noteworthy;
   marked;
   unusual:
   She sang with particular warmth at last evening's concert.
4. exceptional or especial:
   Take particular pains with this job.
5. being such in an exceptional degree:
   a particular friend of mine.
6. dealing with or giving details, as an account or description, of a person;
   detailed;
   minute.
7. exceptionally selective, attentive, or exacting;
   fastidious;
   fussy:
   to be particular about one's food.
8. Philosophy [Logic.]
   • Philosophy not general;
     referring to an indefinite part of a whole class.
   • Philosophy (of a proposition) containing only existential quantifiers.
   • Philosophy partaking of the nature of an individual as opposed to a class.
9. Law
   • noting an estate that precedes a future or ultimate ownership, as lands devised to a widow during her lifetime and after that to her children.
   • noting the tenant of such an estate.

n. 

10. an individual or distinct part, as an item of a list or enumeration.
11. Usually, particulars. specific points, details, or circumstances:
    to give an investigator the particulars of a case.
12. Philosophy [Logic.] an individual or a specific group within a general class.
13. Idioms in particular, particularly;
    specifically;
    especially:
    There is one book in particular that may help you.

• Late Latin, as above
• Middle French
• Late Latin particulāris, equivalent. to Latin particul(a) particle + -āris -ar¹; replacing Middle English particuler
• 1350–1400

Synonyms

• 1. See special. 
• 1, 2. specific.
• 2. distinct; discrete.
• 3. notable.
• 6. scrupulous, careful, exact, precise.
• 7. discriminating; finical, finicky.
  Particular, dainty, fastidious imply great care, discrimination, and taste in choices, in details about one's person, etc.
  Particular implies esp. care and attention to details:
  particular about one's clothes.
  Dainty implies delicate taste and exquisite cleanliness:
  a dainty dress.
  Fastidious implies being difficult to please and critical of small or minor points:
  a fastidious taste in styles.
• 10. feature, particularity.

Antonyms

• 3. ordinary.
• 6. inexact.
• 7. undiscriminating.

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

particular / pəˈtɪkjʊlə/ adjective

1. (prenominal) of or belonging to a single or specific person, thing, category, etc; specific; special: the particular demands of the job, no particular reason
2. (prenominal) exceptional or marked: a matter of particular importance
3. (prenominal) relating to or providing specific details or circumstances: a particular account
4. exacting or difficult to please, esp in details; fussy
5. (of the solution of a differential equation) obtained by giving specific values to the arbitrary constants in a general equation
6. (of a proposition) affirming or denying something about only some members of a class of objects, as in some men are not wicked
   Compare universal10
7. denoting an estate that precedes the passing of the property into ultimate ownership
   See also remainder3, reversion4

noun

1. a separate distinct item that helps to form a generalization: opposed to general
2. (often plural) an item of information; detail: complete in every particular, he refused to go into particulars, the police officer took down her particulars
3. an individual object, as contrasted with a universal
   
4. in particular ⇒ especially, particularly, or exactly

Etymology: 14th Century: from Old French particuler, from Late Latin particulāris concerning a part, from Latin particula particle