particularity

Noun

particularity (countable and uncountable, plural particularities)

1. A particular thing.
   • In this particularity vvhereof vve novv ſpeake, ſee hovv his Mercy and Truth are met together, and doe moſt lovingly embrace each other.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...
   • [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.1856, R[alph] W[aldo] Emerson, “Aristocracy”, in English Traits, Boston, Mass.: Phillips, Sampson, and Company, →OCLC, pages 187–188

   Synonyms:

   particular

2. A distinctive characteristic or quality; a peculiarity.
   • Donny’s obsession for trains is just a harmless particularity of his.

   Synonyms:

   differentia, discrimen

3. (obsolete) A particular case or matter.
   • Novv let the generall Trumpet blovv his blaſt, / Particularities, and pettie ſounds / To ceaſe.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...
   • [W]e Chriſtians, vnto vvhom it is reuealed in particularity, that all Men came from one Lumpe of Earth; […]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....
4. The condition of being particular rather than general or universal; specificity.
   • 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!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...
   • 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.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...

   Synonyms:

   particularness, individuality, peculiarity, propriety, singularity, specialty, specificity, specificness

   Antonyms:

   catholicity, generality, genericity, genericness, universality

   1. The doctrine of the incarnation of God as Jesus occurring at a particular place and time.
   2. (Judaism, obsolete) Synonym of particularism (“the principle that only certain people are chosen by God for salvation”).
5. Attention to detail; fastidiousness.
   • 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.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. […]...
   • 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.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....

   Synonyms:

   scrupulousness

6. (obsolete) The condition of being special; peculiarity, specialness.
   • 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.1711 August 23 (Gregorian calendar), [Richard Steele], “SUNDAY, August 13, 1711”, in The Spectator, number 142; republished in Alexander Chalmers, editor, The Spectator; a New Edition, […], volume...

   Synonyms:

   distinction

7. (obsolete) The condition of being special in an unexpected way; oddness, strangeness; (countable) an instance of this.
   • 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.1712 August 2 (Gregorian calendar), [Richard Steele], “TUESDAY, July 23, 1712”, in The Spectator, number 438; republished in Alexander Chalmers, editor, The Spectator; a New Edition, […], volume V...
   • Lucy looks at her uncle as if ſhe could hardly excuſe his particularities; but Mrs. Shirley has alvvays ſomething to ſay for him.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...

   Synonyms:

   oddity, singularity

8. (obsolete) The paying of particular close attention to someone; (countable) an instance of this.
   • 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...1709 August 7 (Gregorian calendar), Isaac Bickerstaff [et al., pseudonyms; Richard Steele], “Wednesday, July 28, 1709”, in The Tatler, number 47; republished in [Richard Steele], editor, The Tatler...
   • 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?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