n.
Pronunciation: p ə (r)- ' ti-k(y ə -)l ə - ˌ ri-z ə m also pär-
Function: noun
Date: 1824
1 : exclusive or special devotion to a particular interest
2 : a political theory that each political group has a right to promote its own interests and especially independence without regard to the interests of larger groups
3 : a tendency to explain complex social phenomena in terms of a single causative factor
– par · tic · u · lar · ist \ -rist \ noun or adjective
– par · tic · u · lar · is · tic \ - ˌ ti-k(y ə -)l ə - ' ris-tik \ adjective