What does peculiar mean?
Definitions for peculiar
pɪˈkyul yərpe·cu·liar
This dictionary definitions page includes all the possible meanings, example usage and translations of the word peculiar.
Princeton's WordNet
curious, funny, odd, peculiar, queer, rum, rummy, singularadjective
beyond or deviating from the usual or expected
"a curious hybrid accent"; "her speech has a funny twang"; "they have some funny ideas about war"; "had an odd name"; "the peculiar aromatic odor of cloves"; "something definitely queer about this town"; "what a rum fellow"; "singular behavior"
particular(a), peculiar(a), special(a)adjective
unique or specific to a person or thing or category
"the particular demands of the job"; "has a particular preference for Chinese art"; "a peculiar bond of sympathy between them"; "an expression peculiar to Canadians"; "rights peculiar to the rich"; "the special features of a computer"; "my own special chair"
peculiaradjective
markedly different from the usual
"a peculiar hobby of stuffing and mounting bats"; "a man...feels it a peculiar insult to be taunted with cowardice by a woman"-Virginia Woolf
peculiar(a)adjective
characteristic of one only; distinctive or special
"the peculiar character of the Government of the U.S."- R.B.Taney
Wiktionary
peculiaradjective
Out of the ordinary; odd; curious; unusual.
It's rather peculiar to see a Kangaroo outside of a zoo in America.
peculiaradjective
Common or usual for a certain place or circumstance; specific or particular.
Kangaroos are peculiar to Australia.
Samuel Johnson's Dictionary
PECULIARadjective
Etymology: peculiaris, from peculium, Lat. pecule, Fr.
I agree with Sir William Temple, that the word humour is peculiar to our English tongue; but not that the thing itself is peculiar to the English, because the contrary may be found in many Spanish, Italian and French productions. Jonathan Swift.
The only sacred hymns they are that christianity hath peculiar unto itself, the other being songs too of praise and of thanksgiving, but songs wherewith as we serve God, so the Jews likewise. Richard Hooker, b. v. s. 39.
Space and duration being ideas that have something very abstruse and peculiar in their nature, the comparing them one with another may be of use for their illustration. John Locke.
One peculiar nation to select
From all the rest, of whom to be invok’d. John Milton.I neither fear, nor will provoke the war;
My fate is Juno’s most peculiar care. Dryden.Peculiarnoun
By tincture or reflection, they augment
Their small peculiar. John Milton, Par. Lost.Revenge is so absolutely the peculiar of heaven, that no consideration whatever can empower even the best men to assume the execution of it. Robert South, Sermons.
Certain peculiars there are, some appertaining to the dignities of the cathredral church at Exon. Carew.
ChatGPT
peculiar
Peculiar is typically used as an adjective to describe something that is strange, unusual, odd, or unconventional. Such things often stand out from the norm or what is typically expected. The word also can convey uniqueness or distinctiveness, as something peculiar is in a class of its own or unlike anything else.
Webster Dictionary
Peculiaradjective
one's own; belonging solely or especially to an individual; not possessed by others; of private, personal, or characteristic possession and use; not owned in common or in participation
Peculiaradjective
particular; individual; special; appropriate
Peculiaradjective
unusual; singular; rare; strange; as, the sky had a peculiarappearance
Peculiarnoun
that which is peculiar; a sole or exclusive property; a prerogative; a characteristic
Peculiarnoun
a particular parish or church which is exempt from the jurisdiction of the ordinary
Wikidata
Peculiar
Peculiar is an album by the New York City ska band The Slackers. It was released on Hellcat Records in 2006.
Chambers 20th Century Dictionary
Peculiar
pē-kūl′yar, adj. one's own: belonging to no other: appropriate: particular: odd, uncommon, strange.—n. (obs.) private property: a parish or church exempt from the jurisdiction of the ordinary or bishop in whose diocese it is placed.—v.t. Pecul′iarise, to set apart.—n. Peculiar′ity, quality of being peculiar or singular: that which is found in one and in no other: that which marks a person off from others: individuality.—adv. Pecul′iarly.—n. Pecū′lium, private property, esp. that given by a father to a son, &c.—Peculiar people, the people of Israel: a sect of faith-healers, founded in London in 1838, who reject medical aid in cases of disease, and rely on anointing with oil by the elders, and on prayer, with patient nursing. [Fr.,—L. peculiaris—peculium, private property.]
British National Corpus
Written Corpus Frequency
Rank popularity for the word 'peculiar' in Written Corpus Frequency: #4496
Adjectives Frequency
Rank popularity for the word 'peculiar' in Adjectives Frequency: #782
Usage in printed sourcesFrom:
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Numerology
Chaldean Numerology
The numerical value of peculiar in Chaldean Numerology is: 2
Pythagorean Numerology
The numerical value of peculiar in Pythagorean Numerology is: 4
Examples of peculiar in a Sentence
This all looks very peculiar.
One of the peculiar sins of the twentieth century which we've developed to a very high level is the sin of credulity. It has been said that when human beings stop believing in God they believe in nothing. The truth is much worse: they believe in anything.
There is a series of peculiar things and all that need to be explained, it may very well be some kind of an accident, but not necessarily a human error. We will have to see. But … I think the most probable explanation is the ship with anchor down moved both back and forth and possibly caused damage to the pipeline.
Every Age has its own peculiar faith. Any attempt to translate into facts the mission of one Age with the machinery of another, can only end in an indefinite series of abortive efforts. Defeated by the utter want of proportion between the means and the end, such attempts might produce martyrs, but never lead to victory.
We are sure living in a peculiar time. You get more for not working than you will for working, and more for not raising a hog than for raising it.
Popularity rank by frequency of use
References
Translations for peculiar
From our Multilingual Translation Dictionary
- асаблі́выBelarusian
- peculiarCatalan, Valencian
- neobvyklý, podivný, zvláštníCzech
- eigenartigGerman
- ιδιόμορφοςGreek
- strangaEsperanto
- específico, peculiarSpanish
- iseäralik, tavatu, omapärane, kummalineEstonian
- عجیب و غریبPersian
- outo, erikoinen, poikkeuksellinen, merkillinen, kummallinenFinnish
- curieux, bizarre, extraordinaire, particulierFrench
- ajeeb, ajeebo-gareebHindi
- արտասովորArmenian
- strano, peculiareItalian
- מוּזָרHebrew
- 기묘한Korean
- peculiumLatin
- saviškasLithuanian
- dīvains, savādsLatvian
- необичен, карактеристичен, својствен, чуденMacedonian
- ongewoon, ongebruikelijk, merkwaardig, karakteristiekDutch
- estranhOccitan
- estranho, particular, peculiar, esquisitoPortuguese
- особенный, свойственный, необычный, странный, своеобразныйRussian
- tuhaf, olağandışıTurkish
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"peculiar." Definitions.net. STANDS4 LLC, 2025. Web. 19 Mar. 2025. <https://www.definitions.net/definition/peculiar>.
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