particularists
|par-tic-u-lar-ists|
🇺🇸
/pərˈtɪkjəlɚɪsts/
🇬🇧
/pəˈtɪkjʊl(ə)rɪsts/
(particularist)
group-focused
Etymology
'particularist' originates from English, formed from the adjective 'particular' plus the agentive suffix '-ist', where 'particular' ultimately comes from Latin 'particularis' (from 'particula') meaning 'small part' or 'particular small piece'.
'particularist' developed by adding the suffix '-ist' to Middle English 'particular' (from Old French and Latin roots). 'Particular' came from Latin 'particularis' (from 'particula', diminutive of 'pars' meaning 'part'), and the modern English noun 'particularist' emerged by combining that adjective with the agentive suffix '-ist' to denote a person holding a particular position.
Initially, derivatives of Latin 'particula' referred to a 'small part' or 'particular thing'; over time 'particular' came to mean 'specific' or 'distinct'. 'Particularist' later developed to mean 'one who emphasizes specifics or particular cases', especially contrasted with 'universalist'.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
plural of 'particularist': people who hold or advocate particularism — the view that emphasis should be placed on specific cases, contexts, or particulars (often in ethics, culture, or politics) rather than on universal rules or general principles.
Particularists often argue that moral judgment must account for the concrete details of a situation rather than rely solely on universal principles.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Last updated: 2025/10/19 18:05