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Synonyms

peculiar

American  
[pi-kyool-yer] / pɪˈkyul yər /

adjective

  1. strange; queer; odd.

    peculiar happenings.
    Synonyms:
    bizarre, eccentric

  2. uncommon; unusual.

    the peculiar hobby of stuffing and mounting bats.
    Synonyms:
    exceptional, singular, extraordinary
    Antonyms:
    common

  3. distinctive in nature or character from others.

  4. belonging characteristically (usually followed byto ).

    an expression peculiar to Canadians.

  5. belonging exclusively to some person, group, or thing.

    the peculiar properties of a drug.
    Synonyms:
    unique, special, particular, personal, individual
    Antonyms:
    common

  6. Astronomy. designating a star or galaxy with special properties that deviates from others of its spectral type or galaxy class.

noun

  1. a property or privilege belonging exclusively or characteristically to a person.

  2. British. a particular parish or church that is exempted from the jurisdiction of the ordinary or bishop in whose diocese it lies and is governed by another.

  3. Also called arbitraries.  British Printing. peculiars. special characters not generally included in standard type fonts, as phonetic symbols, mathematical symbols, etc.

peculiar British  
/ pɪˈkjuːlɪə /

adjective

  1. strange or unusual; odd

    a peculiar individual

    a peculiar idea

  2. distinct from others; special

  3. belonging characteristically or exclusively (to)

    peculiar to North America
"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

noun

  1. Also called: arbitrary.  printing a special sort, esp an accented letter

  2. Church of England a church or parish that is exempt from the jurisdiction of the ordinary in whose diocese it lies

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Related Words

See strange.

Other Word Forms

  • peculiarly adverb
  • unpeculiar adjective
  • unpeculiarly adverb

Etymology

Origin of peculiar

First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English; from Latin pecūliāris “as one's own,” equivalent to pecūli(um) “property” (derivative of pecū “flock, farm animals”; akin to pecus “cattle” ( fee )) + -āris -ar 1

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.