n.
Pronunciation: p ə (r)- ' ti-ky ə -l ə r, -k( ə -)l ə r
Function: adjective
Etymology: Middle English particuler, from Anglo-French, from Late Latin particularis, from Latin particula small part
Date: 14th century
1 : of, relating to, or being a single person or thing <the particular person I had in mind>
2 obsolete : PARTIAL
3 : of, relating to, or concerned with details <gave us a very particular account of the trip>
4 a : distinctive among other examples or cases of the same general category : notably unusual <suffered from measles of particular severity> b : being one unit or element among others < particular incidents in a story>
5 a : denoting an individual member or subclass in logic b : affirming or denying a predicate to a part of the subject ― used of a proposition in logic < “ some men are wise ” is a particular affirmative>
6 a : concerned over or attentive to details : METICULOUS <a very particular gardener> b : nice in taste : FASTIDIOUS c : hard to please : EXACTING
synonyms see CIRCUMSTANTIAL , SPECIAL