peculiar en · ADJ
Pronunciation
- /pəˈkjul.jɚ/ (US)
- (UK) audio
- /pəˈkjuː.li.ə/ (UK)
- (US) audio
- /pɪˈkjul.jɚ/ (US)
- /pɪˈkjʉː.li.ə/ (Australia)
- /pɪˈkjuː.li.ə/ (UK)
Etymology
From Latin pecūliāris (“one's own”), from pecūlium (“private property”), from pecus (“cattle”).
Meanings
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Out of the ordinary; odd; strange; unusual.
"Wasn't it peculiar," I heard mother say, "How he wouldn't talk about himself?" "Peculiar?" said father. "Well, yes, in a way." "Everything about him is peculiar." Mother sounded as if she was stirred up and interested. "I never saw a man quite like him before."
2001, Jack Schaefer, Wendell Minor, Shane:It would be rather peculiar to see a kangaroo hopping down a city street.
Blue and gold macaws are not native to Caracas. But over the past two decades their numbers in Venezuela's capital have skyrocketed, with hundreds of these birds now flying freely across the city, and dazzling locals with their colorful feathers and peculiar calls.
2026 April 18, Manuel Rueda, “Caracas' iconic macaws threatened by vanishing palm trees”, in National Public Radio, Washington, D.C.: National Public Radio:I saw nothing peculiar in his conduct, and thought that his arrangement of the ballot box was perfect.
1800, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, The Deseret Weekly, volume 41, page 379:The sky had a peculiar appearance before the storm.
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Common or usual for a certain place or circumstance; specific or particular.
But of late years extensive Tertiary deposits of Miocene age have been discovered, showing that it is not a mere congeries of volcanoes; it [Iceland] is connected with the British Islands and with Greenland by seas less than 500 fathoms deep; and it possesses a few mammalia, one of which is peculiar, and at least three peculiar species of birds.
1895, Alfred Russel Wallace, “XX: Anomalous Islands: Celebes”, in Island Life:Kangaroos are peculiar to Australia.
This philosopher found his ideas especially in all that is practical,^([29]) that is, which rests upon freedom, which in its turn ranks under cognitions that are the peculiar product of reason.
1855, Meiklejohn, John Miller Dow, transl., Critique of Pure Reason, volume 1, division 2, translation of Critik der reinen Vernunft by Immanuel Kant:As soon as that operation has taken place, the food is passed down to the stomach, and there it is mixed with the chemical fluid called the gastric juice, a substance which has the peculiar property of making soluble and dissolving out the nutritious matter in the grass, and leaving behind those parts which are not nutritious;
1863, Thomas Huxley, Collected Essays:And it was peculiar in their Temper, that they were fonder of what they could get by Rapine or Stealth at a greater diſtance, than much better Food provided for them at home.
1726 October 28, [Jonathan Swift], “The Author’s Great Love of His Native Country. […]”, in Travels into Several Remote Nations of the World. […] [Gulliver’s Travels], volume II, London: […] Benj[amin] Motte, […], →OCLC, part IV (A Voyage to the Houyhnhnms), page 262:
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(dated) One's own; belonging solely or especially to an individual; not shared or possessed by others.
Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.
1769, King James Bible, Titus ii. 14:hymns […] that Christianity hath peculiar unto itself
1597, Richard Hooker, Of the Lawes of Ecclesiastical Politie:
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(dated) Particular; individual; special; appropriate.
My fate is Juno's most peculiar care.
1697, Dryden, John, transl., Aeneid, translation of Aeneis by Virgil:while each peculiar power forgoes his wonted seat
1629, John Milton, On the Morning of Christ's Nativity:
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| most peculiar | Degree=Sup | lexicographic | |
| more peculiar | Degree=Cmp | lexicographic |
Antonyms
ordinary · common · mediocre · usual · general · common · universal
Deriveds
peculiar institution · peculiarise · peculiarization · peculiar velocity · peculiarism · peculiarsome · peculiarize · chemically peculiar star · peculiaries · Peculiar People · peculiarness · funny peculiar · peculiarly · peculiarity · peculiar motion
Synonyms
odd · uncommon · specific · strange · unusual
Translations (103)
eo stranga (out of the ordinary) · unm wëlelëmi (out of the ordinary) · lv savāds (out of the ordinary) · mk карактеристичен (common or usual for a particular place or circumstance) · oc estranh (out of the ordinary) · be асаблі́вы (out of the ordinary) · fi outo (out of the ordinary) · fr particulier (out of the ordinary) · lmo particolar (out of the ordinary) · ru сво́йственный (common or usual for a particular place or circumstance) · nb typisk (common or usual for a particular place or circumstance) · ru своеобра́зный (out of the ordinary) · de charakteristisch (common or usual for a particular place or circumstance) · ru осо́бенный (out of the ordinary) · pdt sondaboa (out of the ordinary) · de merkwürdig (out of the ordinary) · ca peculiar (out of the ordinary) · pl osobliwy (out of the ordinary) · ba хас (common or usual for a particular place or circumstance) · nb selsom (out of the ordinary) · bg необикновен (out of the ordinary) · et omapärane (common or usual for a particular place or circumstance) · ko 기묘한 (out of the ordinary) · es específico (common or usual for a particular place or circumstance) · ru стра́нный (out of the ordinary) · ja 奇異な (out of the ordinary) · pt particular (common or usual for a particular place or circumstance) · gl peculiar (out of the ordinary) · pdt besonda (out of the ordinary) · ja 風変わりな (out of the ordinary) · bg особен (out of the ordinary) · pdt schnoopich (out of the ordinary) · fr extraordinaire (out of the ordinary) · nl karakteristiek (common or usual for a particular place or circumstance) · lv dīvains (out of the ordinary) · id garib (out of the ordinary) · cs ulítlý (out of the ordinary) · nb merkverdig (out of the ordinary) · nl ongewoon (out of the ordinary) · et tavatu (out of the ordinary) · ga saoithiúil (out of the ordinary) · gl estraño (out of the ordinary) · nb spesifikk (common or usual for a particular place or circumstance) · et iseäralik (common or usual for a particular place or circumstance) · de seltsam (out of the ordinary) · cs zvláštní (out of the ordinary) · mi whanokē (out of the ordinary) · fi merkillinen (out of the ordinary) · pt esquisito (out of the ordinary) · nl merkwaardig (out of the ordinary) · cs příznačný (common or usual for a particular place or circumstance) · fr particulier (common or usual for a particular place or circumstance) · fi kummallinen (out of the ordinary) · es peculiar (common or usual for a particular place or circumstance) · nl ongebruikelijk (out of the ordinary) · tr olağandışı (out of the ordinary) · ja 特有な (common or usual for a particular place or circumstance) · hu sajátságos (out of the ordinary) · hy արտասովոր (out of the ordinary) · fr curieux (out of the ordinary) · it peculiare (common or usual for a particular place or circumstance) · sv utmärkande (out of the ordinary) · es peculiar (out of the ordinary) · fi poikkeuksellinen (out of the ordinary) · cs typický (common or usual for a particular place or circumstance) · mk необичен (out of the ordinary) · lmo strani (out of the ordinary) · cs výstřední (out of the ordinary) · ru необы́чный (out of the ordinary) · it particolare (out of the ordinary) · sv säregen (out of the ordinary) · ca peculiar (common or usual for a particular place or circumstance) · nb uvanlig (out of the ordinary) · et kummaline (out of the ordinary) · cs specifický (common or usual for a particular place or circumstance) · eo eksterordinara (out of the ordinary) · hi अजीबो-गरीब (out of the ordinary) · cs neobvyklý (out of the ordinary) · hi अजीब (out of the ordinary) · de eigen (out of the ordinary) · pl specyficzny (out of the ordinary) · it peculiare (out of the ordinary) · pt estranho (out of the ordinary) · tr tuhaf (out of the ordinary) · cs divný (out of the ordinary) · fi erikoinen (out of the ordinary) · cs podivný (out of the ordinary) · kk біртүрлі (out of the ordinary) · pt peculiar (common or usual for a particular place or circumstance) · mk чуден (out of the ordinary) · lt saviškas (common or usual for a particular place or circumstance) · fr bizarre (out of the ordinary) · cs svébytný (out of the ordinary) · mi korokē (out of the ordinary) · cs extravagantní (out of the ordinary) · es raro (out of the ordinary) · mk својствен (common or usual for a particular place or circumstance) · cs charakteristický (common or usual for a particular place or circumstance) · pt peculiar (out of the ordinary) · it strano (out of the ordinary) · hu sajátos (out of the ordinary) · nb spesiell (out of the ordinary) · nb karakteristisk (common or usual for a particular place or circumstance)