From Middle English particuler, from Anglo-Norman particuler, Middle French particuler, particulier, from Late Latin particularis, from Latin particula.

• (British) IPA: /pəˈtɪk.jʊ.lə/
• (non-rhotic) IPA: /pəˈtɪk.jə.lə/
• (rhotic) IPA: /pɚˈtɪk.jə.lɚ/
• (America, Canada, rhotic, r-dissimilation) IPA: /pəˈtɪk.jə.lɚ/

particular (also non-comparable)

1. (obsolete) Pertaining only to a part of something; partial.
2. Specific; discrete; concrete.

   Synonyms: Thesaurus:specific

   Antonyms: general

   I couldn't find the particular model you asked for, but I hope this one will do.

   We knew it was named after John Smith, but nobody knows which particular John Smith.

   • c. 1599–1602 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Hamlet, Prince of Denmarke”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC ↗, [Act I, scene v]:

     I could a tale unfold whose lightest word / Would harrow up thy soul, freeze thy young blood, / Make thy two eyes, like stars, start from their spheres, / Thy knotted and combined locks to part / And each particular hair to stand on end

3. Specialised; characteristic of a specific person or thing.

   Synonyms: optimized, specialistic

   I don't appreciate your particular brand of cynicism.

   • 1625, Francis [Bacon], “Of Gardens”, in The Essayes […], 3rd edition, London: […] Iohn Haviland for Hanna Barret, →OCLC ↗:

     wheresoever one plant draweth such a particular juice out of the earth

4. (obsolete) Known only to an individual person or group; confidential.
   • c. 1603–1606, William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of King Lear”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC ↗, [Act V, scene i]:

     or these domesticke and particular broiles, Are not the question heere.

5. Distinguished in some way; special (often in negative constructions).

   My five favorite places are, in no particular order, New York, Chicago, Paris, San Francisco and London.

   I didn't have any particular interest in the book.

   He brought no particular news.

   She was the particular belle of the party.

6. (comparable) Of a person, concerned with, or attentive to, details; fastidious.

   Synonyms: minute, precise, fastidious, Thesaurus:fastidious

   He is very particular about his food and if it isn't cooked to perfection he will send it back.

   These women are more particular about their appearance.

7. Concerned with, or attentive to, details; minute; circumstantial; precise.

   Synonyms: Thesaurus:meticulous

   a full and particular account of an accident

8. (law) Containing a part only; limited.

   a particular estate, or one precedent to an estate in remainder

9. (legal) Holding a particular estate.
   • 1765–1769, William Blackstone, Commentaries on the Laws of England, (please specify |book=I to IV), Oxford, Oxfordshire: […] Clarendon Press, →OCLC ↗:

     a particular tenant

10. (logic) Forming a part of a genus; relatively limited in extension; affirmed or denied of a part of a subject.

    a particular proposition, opposed to "universal", e.g. (particular affirmative) "Some men are wise"; (particular negative) "Some men are not wise".

• German: speziell, bestimmt, spezifisch, genau, einzeln
• Italian: specifico
• Portuguese: específico, particular
• Russian: конкре́тный
• Spanish: particular

• German: besonders, besonderer, charakteristisch, spezifisch, speziell
• Italian: proprio, particolare
• Portuguese: próprio, particular
• Russian: характерный

• German: bestimmt, besonderer, speziell, besonders, herausgehoben, spezifisch
• Italian: speciale
• Portuguese: especial
• Russian: специа́льный

• German: sorgfältig, penibel, genau, pingelig, eigen, wählerisch, anspruchsvoll, etepetete,

• German: eigen, kleinlich, wählerisch, genau, minutiös, wählerisch, penibel, pingelig, sorgfältig
• Italian: minuzioso
• Portuguese: minucioso
• Russian: разборчивый

• French: particulier

particular (plural particulars)

1. A small individual part of something larger; a detail, a point. [from 15th c.]
   • 1726 October 27, [Jonathan Swift], “Several Contrivances of the Author to Please the King and Queen. […]”, in Travels into Several Remote Nations of the World. […] [Gulliver's Travels], volume I, London: […] Benj[amin] Motte, […], →OCLC ↗, part II (A Voyage to Brobdingnag), page 259 ↗:

     I did not omit even our Sports and Paſtimes, or any other Particular which I thought might redound to the Honour of my Country.

2. (obsolete) A person's own individual case. [16th]
   • 1603, Michel de Montaigne, chapter 16, in John Florio, transl., The Essayes […], book II, London: […] Val[entine] Simmes for Edward Blount […], →OCLC ↗:

     Since philosophy could never find any way for tranquillity that might be generally good, let every man in his particular seeke for it.

   • 1658, Henry Hammond, Whole Duty of Man:

     temporal blessings, whether such as concern the public […] or such as concern our particular

3. (now philosophy, chiefly in plural) A particular case; an individual thing as opposed to a whole class. (Opposed to generals, universals.) [from 17th c.]

• universal
• for one's particular