Meaning & Definition of Peculiar in English

1. Beyond or deviating from the usual or expected

• "A curious hybrid accent"

• "Her speech has a funny twang"

• "They have some funny ideas about war"

• "Had an odd name"

• "The peculiar aromatic odor of cloves"

• "Something definitely queer about this town"

• "What a rum fellow"

• "Singular behavior"

2. Unique or specific to a person or thing or category

• "The particular demands of the job"

• "Has a particular preference for chinese art"

• "A peculiar bond of sympathy between them"

• "An expression peculiar to canadians"

• "Rights peculiar to the rich"

• "The special features of a computer"

• "My own special chair"

3. Markedly different from the usual

• "A peculiar hobby of stuffing and mounting bats"

• "A man...feels it a peculiar insult to be taunted with cowardice by a woman"-virginia woolf

4. Characteristic of one only

• Distinctive or special

• "The peculiar character of the government of the u.s."- r.b.taney