noun · 6 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
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General-American:/pɪˌkjuliˈɛɹɪti/
Received-Pronunciation:/pɪˌkjuːliˈæɹɪti/
US:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
rhymes with -æɹɪti
CMU ARPABET:P IH0 K Y UW2 L IY0 EH1 R AH0 T IY0
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
noun
Meaning 1
The state or quality of being peculiar; individuality; singularity.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
Examples
The peculiarity of meeting six people on a usually deserted trail only struck me later on.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
noun
Meaning 2
That which is peculiar; a special and distinctive characteristic or habit; a particularity.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
noun
Meaning 3
Exclusive possession or right.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
4
noun
Meaning 4
something unusual -- perhaps worthy of collecting
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Etymology tree English peculiar Proto-Indo-European *-teh2 Proto-Indo-European *-ts Proto-Indo-European *-teh2ts Latin -itāsder. Old French -itebor. Middle English -ite English -ity English peculiarity From peculiar + -ity.
Across languages
Translations
30 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Bulgarian:
особеност
(osobenost)
— the quality or state of being peculiar
Bulgarian:
своеобразие
(svoeobrazie)
— the quality or state of being peculiar
Catalan:
peculiaritat
— the quality or state of being peculiar
French:
singularité
— the quality or state of being peculiar
French:
bizarrerie
— the quality or state of being peculiar
French:
étrangeté
— the quality or state of being peculiar
German:
Singularität
— the quality or state of being peculiar
German:
Einzigartigkeit
— the quality or state of being peculiar
Hindi:
विलक्षणता
(vilakṣaṇtā)
— the quality or state of being peculiar
Hindi:
अनोखापन
(anokhāpan)
— the quality or state of being peculiar
Hindi:
विचित्रता
(vicitratā)
— the quality or state of being peculiar
Lithuanian:
saviškumas
— the quality or state of being peculiar
Plautdietsch:
Ieejenschoft
— the quality or state of being peculiar
Portuguese:
peculiaridade
— the quality or state of being peculiar
Spanish:
peculiaridad
— the quality or state of being peculiar
Azerbaijani:
xüsusiyyət
— that which is peculiar
Azerbaijani:
özəllik
— that which is peculiar
Bulgarian:
особеност
(osobenost)
— that which is peculiar
Catalan:
peculiaritat
— that which is peculiar
Esperanto:
propreco
— that which is peculiar
French:
particularité
— that which is peculiar
French:
distinction
— that which is peculiar
German:
Besonderheit
— that which is peculiar
Plautdietsch:
Ieejenschoft
— that which is peculiar
Polish:
specyfika
— that which is peculiar
Polish:
swoistość
— that which is peculiar
Portuguese:
peculiaridade
— that which is peculiar
Russian:
осо́бенность
(osóbennostʹ)
— that which is peculiar