peculiar
Americanadjective
-
strange; queer; odd.
peculiar happenings.
-
uncommon; unusual.
the peculiar hobby of stuffing and mounting bats.
- Synonyms:
- exceptional, singular, extraordinary
- Antonyms:
- common
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distinctive in nature or character from others.
-
belonging characteristically (usually followed byto ).
an expression peculiar to Canadians.
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belonging exclusively to some person, group, or thing.
the peculiar properties of a drug.
- Synonyms:
- unique, special, particular, personal, individual
- Antonyms:
- common
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Astronomy. designating a star or galaxy with special properties that deviates from others of its spectral type or galaxy class.
noun
-
a property or privilege belonging exclusively or characteristically to a person.
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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.
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Also called arbitraries. British Printing. peculiars. special characters not generally included in standard type fonts, as phonetic symbols, mathematical symbols, etc.
adjective
-
strange or unusual; odd
a peculiar individual
a peculiar idea
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distinct from others; special
-
belonging characteristically or exclusively (to)
peculiar to North America
noun
-
Also called: arbitrary. printing a special sort, esp an accented letter
-
Church of England a church or parish that is exempt from the jurisdiction of the ordinary in whose diocese it lies
Synonym Usage
See strange.
Other Word Forms
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” ( see fee)) + -āris -ar 1
Explanation
Something peculiar is notably unusual. If your friend starts saying strange things you don't understand, ask her why she's suddenly become peculiar. Peculiar comes from the Latin peculiaris, meaning one's own, or personal. In English, it originally meant belonging to one person, private, like your fondness for your peculiar hairbrush. It also had the meaning of something unlike others, special, or remarkable. Eventually we mostly stopped using it for belongings, instead using peculiar to mean unusual or odd.
Vocabulary lists containing peculiar
List 1
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"To Kill a Mockingbird" by Harper Lee, Chapters 1–6
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Unit 1: Telling Details
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
When he does bother to campaign, he makes peculiar choices, such as at a late August event for which he wore a Four Seasons Orlando–branded golf shirt and what appeared to be a $40,000 watch.
From Slate ● Sep. 21, 2026
Aerial reporters possess a peculiar intimacy with listeners, their voices and visuals filling cars and houses with their personalities as well as useful, even startling, real-time information.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 16, 2026
McDonald’s offered characters, stories, collectibles and peculiar geography.
From Salon ● Sep. 2, 2026
One of the peculiar things about these machines is that they seem to benefit from positive reinforcement, just like mere humans.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 15, 2026
It was a peculiar thing, to know a place was home without knowing it at all.
From "Beasts of Prey" by Ayana Gray
