Spanish Conversation · Level 28
89 words
Spanish word
peculiar
Pronunciation
IPA/pekuˈljaɾ/
Meaning
- adjectivedistinctive
Example
Tiene un estilo peculiar.
He has a distinctive style.
More examples
Su comportamiento peculiar llamó la atención.
His unusual behavior attracted attention.
Core concept
A single bright red dot on a plain white background.
Common phrases
carácter peculiar
distinctive character
comportamiento peculiar
unusual behavior
costumbre peculiar
unusual custom
Similar words
extraño: Feels unfamiliar or odd, evoking surprise or mild puzzlement.
raro: Appears uncommon or rare, noticeably different from ordinary cases.
singular: Appears strikingly exceptional, standing out as one-of-a-kind.
especial: Carries special value or importance that marks it as noteworthy.
Definition in Spanish
Que tiene una cualidad o rasgo distintivo que lo diferencia de lo común sin implicar necesariamente juicio negativo.
Word origin
From Latin peculium 'private property' via peculiaris 'belonging to one', originally meaning something that belongs to a particular owner and so 'distinctive'.
Usage tips
- In Spanish peculiar often names a neutral distinguishing trait rather than oddness in English, and the phrase es peculiar que takes the subjunctive to mark surprise or unexpectedness.
Other meanings
- unusualadjective
- strangeadjective
Opposites
- convencionalconventionaladjective
- ordinarioordinaryadjective
Related words
- peculiaridaddistinctivenessnoun