particularity
Language: English
Part of speech: noun
Pronunciation: ipa: /pəˌtɪkjʊˈlæɹɪti/
ipa: /pɑː-/
ipa: /pə(ɹ)ˌtɪkjəˈlɛɹəti/
ipa: /pɑɹ-/
ipa: [-ɾi]
rhymes: -æɹɪti
Forms: form: particularities
Etymology: From Middle French particularité (“part of a whole; something particular, particularity”) (modern French particularité), and from its etymon Late Latin particularitas (“fact or quality of being particular; something particular, particularity”), from Latin particulāris (“particular; partial”) + -tās (suffix forming feminine abstract nouns indicating a state of being). Particulāris is derived from particula (“particle, small part”) (from pars (“a part, piece, portion, share”) (probably ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *perh₃- (“to provide, produce, beget”)) + -cula (diminutive suffix)) + -āris (suffix denoting a relationship, forming adjectives). The English word is analysable as particular + -ity (suffix forming nouns from adjectives, referring to the properties, qualities, or states of what is denoted by the adjectives).
Senses: examples: text: In this particularity vvhereof vve novv ſpeake, ſee hovv his Mercy and Truth are met together, and doe moſt lovingly embrace each other.
ref: 1620 March 8 (date delivered; Gregorian calendar), Robert Saunderson [i.e., Robert Sanderson], “The Second Sermon. At Grantham Linc[olnshire] 27. Febr. 1620.”, in Twelve Sermons, […], [new] edition, London: […] Aug[ustine] Math[ews], for Robert Dawlman, and are to be sold by Robert Allet, […], published 1632, →OCLC, §. 12, page 302:
text: [I]f they never hear plain truth from men, they see the best of every thing, in every kind, and they see things so grouped and amassed as to infer easily the sum and genius, instead of tedious particularities.
ref: 1856, R[alph] W[aldo] Emerson, “Aristocracy”, in English Traits, Boston, Mass.: Phillips, Sampson, and Company, →OCLC, pages 187–188:
synonyms: word: particular
glosses: A particular thing.
examples: text: Donny’s obsession for trains is just a harmless particularity of his.
synonyms: differentia
discrimen
glosses: A distinctive characteristic or quality; a peculiarity.
examples: text: Novv let the generall Trumpet blovv his blaſt, / Particularities, and pettie ſounds / To ceaſe.
ref: 1591 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Second Part of Henry the Sixt, […]”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies. […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act V, scene iii], page 145, column 2:
text: [W]e Chriſtians, vnto vvhom it is reuealed in particularity, that all Men came from one Lumpe of Earth; […]
ref: 1622 (date written), Francis [Bacon], “An Advertisement Touching an Holy Warre. […]”, in William Rawley, editor, Certaine Miscellany Works of the Right Honourable Francis Lo. Verulam, Viscount S. Alban. […], London: […] I. Hauiland for Humphrey Robinson, […], published 1629, →OCLC, page 133:
glosses: A particular case or matter.
examples: text: But true Religion sprung from God above / Is like her fountain full of charity, / […] / [F]ree, large, even infinite, / Not wedg'd in strait particularity, / But grasping all in her vast active spright, / Bright lamp of God! that men would joy in thy pure light!
ref: 1647, Henry More, “[Philosophical Poems.] Psychathanasia or The Second Part of the Song of the Soul, Treating of the Immortality of Souls, Especially Mans Soul.”, in Alexander B[alloch] Grosart, editor, The Complete Poems of Dr. Henry More (1614–1687) […] (Chertsey Worthies’ Library), [Edinburgh: […] Edinburgh University Press; Thomas and Archibald Constable, […]] for private circulation, published 1878, →OCLC, book II, canto 3, stanza 6, page 63, column 2:
text: An indefinite Propoſition, is, vvhen no Note, either of Univerſality or Particularity, is prefixed to a Subject, vvhich is in its ovvn Nature general; as, a Planet is ever changing its Place: Angels are noble Creatures.
ref: 1725, Isaac Watts, “Of the Various Kinds of Propositions”, in Logick: Or, The Right Use of Reason in the Enquiry after Truth, […], 2nd edition, London: […] John Clark and Richard Hett, […], Emanuel Matthews, […], and Richard Ford, […], published 1726, →OCLC, part II (Of Judgment and Proposition), section I (Of Universal, Particular, Indefinite, and Singular Propositions), page 148:
synonyms: word: particularness
word: individuality
word: particularity
word: peculiarity
word: singularity
word: specialty
word: specificity
word: specificness
antonyms: word: specificity
glosses: The condition of being particular rather than general or universal; specificity.
topics: Christianity
lifestyle
religion
theology
synonyms: word: particularness
word: individuality
word: particularity
word: peculiarity
word: singularity
word: specialty
word: specificity
word: specificness
antonyms: word: specificity
glosses: The condition of being particular rather than general or universal; specificity.
The doctrine of the incarnation of God as Jesus occurring at a particular place and time.
topics: Christianity
lifestyle
religion
theology
synonyms: word: particularness
word: individuality
word: particularity
word: peculiarity
word: singularity
word: specialty
word: specificity
word: specificness
word: particularism
extra: the principle that only certain people are chosen by God for salvation
antonyms: word: specificity
glosses: The condition of being particular rather than general or universal; specificity.
Synonym of particularism (“the principle that only certain people are chosen by God for salvation”).
examples: text: There is no part of the Goſpel vvrit vvith ſo copious a Particularity, as the Hiſtory of his [Jesus's] Sufferings and Death; as there vvas indeed no part of the Goſpel ſo important as this is.
ref: 1699, Gilbert, Bishop of Sarum [i.e., Gilbert Burnet], “Article II. Of the Word or Son of God, Which Was Made Very Man.”, in An Exposition of the Thirty-nine Articles of the Church of England. […], London: […] R[obert] Roberts, for Ri[chard] Chiswell, […], →OCLC, page 53:
text: Sir Rovvland himſelf, as you vvill gueſs by his particularity, is an old bachelor, and one vvho vvants to have a vvoman made on purpoſe for his nephevv; and vvho poſitively inſiſts upon qualities, before he knovvs her, not one of vvhich, perhaps, his future niece vvill have.
ref: 1753 (indicated as 1754), [Samuel Richardson], “Letter VIII. Miss Byron, to Miss Selby.”, in The History of Sir Charles Grandison. […], volume I, London: […] S[amuel] Richardson; [a]nd sold by C. Hitch and L. Hawes, […], →OCLC, page 36:
text: I must not be expected to describe our first day's work, or (for that matter) any of the rest, in order and detail as it occurred. Such particularity might have been possible for several officers and a draft of men from a ship of war, accompanied by an experienced secretary with a knowledge of shorthand.
ref: 1892, Robert Louis Stevenson, Lloyd Osbourne, “The Cabin of the ‘Flying Scud’”, in The Wrecker, London; Paris: Cassell & Company, […], →OCLC, page 218:
synonyms: scrupulousness
glosses: Attention to detail; fastidiousness.
examples: text: To pass my evenings in so sweet a conversation, and have the esteem of a woman of your merit, has in it a particularity of happiness no more to be expressed than returned.
ref: 1711 August 24 (Gregorian calendar), [Richard Steele], “MONDAY, August 13, 1711”, in The Spectator, number 142; republished in Alexander Chalmers, editor, The Spectator; a New Edition, […], volume II, New York, N.Y.: D[aniel] Appleton & Company, 1853, →OCLC, page 245:
synonyms: distinction
glosses: The condition of being special; peculiarity, specialness.
examples: text: No man ought to be tolerated in a habitual humour, whim, or particularity of behaviour, by any who do not wait upon him for bread.
ref: 1712 August 3 (Gregorian calendar), [Richard Steele], “WEDNESDAY, July 23, 1712”, in The Spectator, number 438; republished in Alexander Chalmers, editor, The Spectator; a New Edition, […], volume V, New York, N.Y.: D[aniel] Appleton & Company, 1853, →OCLC, page 162:
text: Lucy looks at her uncle as if ſhe could hardly excuſe his particularities; but Mrs. Shirley has alvvays ſomething to ſay for him.
ref: 1753 (indicated as 1754), [Samuel Richardson], “Letter LIV. Lady G[randison]. In Continuation.”, in The History of Sir Charles Grandison. […], volume V, London: […] S[amuel] Richardson; [a]nd sold by C. Hitch and L. Hawes, […], →OCLC, page 333:
text: He had another particuliarity, of vvhich none of his friends ever ventured to aſk an explanation. It appeared to me ſome ſuperſtitious habit, vvhich he had contracted early, and from vvhich he had never called upon his reaſon to diſ-entangle him. This vvas his anxious care to go out or in at a door or paſſage, by a certain number of ſteps from a certain point, […]
ref: 1791, James Boswell, “[1764]”, in James Boswell, editor, The Life of Samuel Johnson, LL.D. […], volume I, London: […] Henry Baldwin, for Charles Dilly, […], →OCLC, page 264:
synonyms: oddity
singularity
glosses: The condition of being special in an unexpected way; oddness, strangeness; (countable) an instance of this.
examples: text: Whenever they met, they talked to each other aloud, chose each other partner at balls, saluted at the most conspicuous parts of the service of the church, and practised, in honour of each other, all the remarkable particularities which are usual for persons who admire one another, and are contemptible to the rest of the world.
ref: 1709 August 8 (Gregorian calendar), Isaac Bickerstaff [et al., pseudonyms; Richard Steele], “Thursday, July 28, 1709”, in The Tatler, number 47; republished in [Richard Steele], editor, The Tatler, […], London stereotype edition, volume I, London: I. Walker and Co.; […], 1822, →OCLC, page 285:
text: While I, to blind the world to our engagement, was behaving one hour with objectionable particularity to another woman, was she to be consenting the next to a proposal which might have made every previous caution useless?
ref: 1815 December (indicated as 1816), [Jane Austen], chapter XIV, in Emma: […], volume III, London: […] [Charles Roworth and James Moyes] for John Murray, →OCLC, page 268:
glosses: The paying of particular close attention to someone; (countable) an instance of this.
Derived terms: overparticularity
scandal of particularity
Related terms: nonparticular
nonparticularistic
particle
particular
particularly
particularness
unparticular
unparticularised
unparticularized
unparticularizing