peculiarity

noun

pe·​cu·​liar·​i·​ty pi-ˌkyül-ˈyer-ə-tē How to pronounce peculiarity (audio)
-ˈya-rə-;
-ˌkyü-lē-ˈer-ə-,
-ˈa-rə-
plural peculiarities
1
: the quality or state of being peculiar
2
: a distinguishing characteristic
3

Examples of peculiarity in a Sentence

the peculiarity of his appearance It is a peculiarity of the house that there is no front door. her peculiarities as a writer Scientists tried to explain some peculiarities in the results of the experiment.
Recent Examples on the Web Their emotional attachment to the analog peculiarities of the 911 model—the distinctive whir of the flat-six valvetrain, the distinctly oily aromas, the uncannily light and accurate steering— this is the stuff of obsession. Basem Wasef, Robb Report, 6 Mar. 2024 Indeed Fontaine’s screenplay, co-written with Claire Barré, persuasively suggests that whatever ambivalence a modern viewer may feel toward the composition, Ravel, whose quiet peculiarities are sensitively underplayed by Raphaël Personnaz, to some extent shared it. Jessica Kiang, Variety, 4 Feb. 2024 One peculiarity of American copyright law is the distinct terms for musical compositions and musical recordings. Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 26 Dec. 2023 Two, the defense’s glaring peculiarities mean it shouldn’t be assumed that Staley will make it to a fourth season under John Spanos and Telesco, even though former coaches Anthony Lynn and Mike McCoy were each given a fourth year. Tom Krasovic, San Diego Union-Tribune, 14 Nov. 2023 One peculiarity of Gagosian’s origin story, at least in his telling, is that his early years had a notable deficit of the quality that has come to define his life: ambition. Patrick Radden Keefe, The New Yorker, 24 July 2023 For all their peculiarities, the garments are impeccably constructed. Nick Haramis Ola Rindal Dogukan Nesanir, New York Times, 16 Feb. 2024 This geographical peculiarity puts the tourist destination at the heart of a deadly migrant saga and a complex humanitarian crisis. Alessandro Clemente, The Christian Science Monitor, 21 Dec. 2023 As investigations into the suicide explanation unfolded, several peculiarities began to emerge. Isabela Raygoza, Billboard, 14 Nov. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'peculiarity.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1606, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of peculiarity was in 1606

Dictionary Entries Near peculiarity

Cite this Entry

“Peculiarity.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/peculiarity. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

peculiarity

noun
pe·​cu·​liar·​i·​ty pi-ˌkyül-ˈyar-ət-ē How to pronounce peculiarity (audio)
-ˌkyü-lē-ˈar-
plural peculiarities
1
: the quality or state of being peculiar
2
: something different or individual
3
: something odd or abnormal

More from Merriam-Webster on peculiarity

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