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

It might strike you as odd that the origins of peculiar are livestock-related, so let us explain. The word's Latin ancestor, peculiaris, means "privately owned, extraordinary"; it traces back to pecu, meaning "cattle," by way of peculium, meaning "private property"—cattle of course being a particular kind of private property. Given the monetary value historically placed in cattle, it makes sense that pecu has given us several money-related words, including pecuniary ("of or relating to money"), peculate ("to embezzle"), and impecunious ("having very little or no money"). Peculiar honed in on the "extraordinary" meaning of peculiaris, applying to what is characteristic of only one individual, group, or thing. In modern use that sense is commonly followed by the preposition to, as in "a tradition peculiar to their family." The "odd" and "eccentric" meanings of peculiar are extensions of that sense, and are now the word's most common applications.

Synonyms

Adjective

• aberrant
• aberrated
• abnormal
• anomalous
• atypical
• especial
• exceeding
• exceptional
• extraordinaire
• extraordinary
• freak
• odd
• phenomenal
• preternatural
• rare
• singular
• uncommon
• uncustomary
• unique
• unusual
• unwonted

Choose the Right Synonym for peculiar

characteristic, individual, peculiar, distinctive mean indicating a special quality or identity.

characteristic applies to something that distinguishes or identifies a person or thing or class.

responded with her characteristic wit

individual stresses qualities that distinguish one from all other members of the same kind or class.

a highly individual writing style

peculiar applies to qualities possessed only by a particular individual or class or kind and stresses rarity or uniqueness.

an eccentricity that is peculiar to the British

distinctive indicates qualities distinguishing and uncommon and often superior or praiseworthy.

a distinctive aura of grace and elegance

strange, singular, unique, peculiar, eccentric, erratic, odd, quaint, outlandish mean departing from what is ordinary, usual, or to be expected.

strange stresses unfamiliarity and may apply to the foreign, the unnatural, the unaccountable.

a journey filled with strange sights

singular suggests individuality or puzzling strangeness.

a singular feeling of impending disaster

unique implies singularity and the fact of being without a known parallel.

a career unique in the annals of science

peculiar implies a marked distinctiveness.

the peculiar status of America's First Lady

eccentric suggests a wide divergence from the usual or normal especially in behavior.

the eccentric eating habits of preschoolers

erratic stresses a capricious and unpredictable wandering or deviating.

a friend's suddenly erratic behavior

odd applies to a departure from the regular or expected.

an odd sense of humor

quaint suggests an old-fashioned but pleasant oddness.

a quaint fishing village

outlandish applies to what is uncouth, bizarre, or barbaric.

outlandish fashions of the time

Examples of peculiar in a Sentence

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.

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

Their peculiar stories illustrate how history tends to repeat itself because memory is fallible. —Shirley Li, The Atlantic, 12 Dec. 2024

The story of how America’s richest financiers avoid paying Medicare tax gives unique insight into the peculiar, messy way taxes work in the U.S. —Paul Kiel, ProPublica, 11 Dec. 2024

Noun

Still, the peculiar is a powerful driver of overall creepiness. —Nathaniel Scharping, Discover Magazine, 7 Apr. 2016

This compendium, based on imagery collected by instruments aboard the Mars Odyssey spacecraft and the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, inventories over 1,000 candidate caves and other peculiar-looking features on Mars. —Katherine Kornei, New York Times, 29 Oct. 2022

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

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Kids Definition

peculiar

adjective

pe·​cu·​liar

pi-ˈkyül-yər

1

: characteristic of only one person, thing, or place

a custom peculiar to England

2

: different from the usual or normal

peculiar behavior

peculiarly adverb