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What is the difference between particular and universal?

particular | universal | Related terms |

Universal is a related term of particular.



As adjectives the difference between particular and universal

is that particular is pertaining only to a part of something; partial while universal is of or pertaining to the universe.

As nouns the difference between particular and universal

is that particular is a small individual part of something larger; a detail, a point while universal is a characteristic or property that particular things have in common.

particular

English

Alternative forms

* perticular (obsolete)

Adjective

(-)
  • (obsolete) Pertaining only to a part of something; partial.
  • Specific; discrete; concrete.
  • I couldn't find the particular model you asked for, but I hope this one will do.
    We knew it was named after John Smith, but nobody knows which particular John Smith.
  • * Shakespeare
  • [Make] each particular hair to stand an end, / Like quills upon the fretful porpentine.
  • Specialised; characteristic of a specific person or thing.
  • I don't appreciate your particular brand of cynicism.
  • * Francis Bacon
  • wheresoever one plant draweth such a particular juice out of the earth
  • (obsolete) Known only to an individual person or group; confidential.
  • * 1623 , William Shakespeare, King Lear , V.1:
  • or these domesticke and particular broiles, Are not the question heere.
  • Distinguished in some way; special (often in negative constructions).
  • My five favorite places are, in no particular order, New York, Chicago, Paris, San Francisco and London.
    I didn't have any particular interest in the book.
    He brought no particular news.
    She was the particular belle of the party.
  • (comparable) Of a person, concerned with, or attentive to, details; minute; precise; fastidious.
  • He is very particular about his food and if it isn't cooked to perfection he will send it back.
  • Concerned with, or attentive to, details; minute; circumstantial; precise.
  • a full and particular account of an accident
  • (legal) Containing a part only; limited.
  • a particular estate, or one precedent to an estate in remainder
  • (legal) Holding a particular estate.
  • a particular tenant
    (Blackstone)
  • (logic) Forming a part of a genus; relatively limited in extension; affirmed or denied of a part of a subject.
  • a particular proposition, opposed to "universal", e.g. (particular affirmative) "Some men are wise"; (particular negative) "Some men are not wise".

    Synonyms

    * See also

    Antonyms

    * general

    Derived terms

    * antiparticularism * antiparticularist * in particular * particular average * particular Church * particular integral * particularism * particularize * particularly * particularity

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • A small individual part of something larger; a detail, a point.
  • (obsolete) A person's own individual case.
  • *, II.16:
  • *:Since philosophy could never find any way for tranquillity that might be generally good, let every man in his particular seeke for it.
  • * Whole Duty of Man
  • temporal blessings, whether such as concern the publicor such as concern our particular
  • *
  • Statistics

    * ----

    universal

    English

    Adjective

    (en adjective)
  • Of or pertaining to the universe.
  • Common to all members of a group or class.
  • *
  • *
  • Common to all society; world-wide
  • She achieved universal fame.
  • Cosmic; unlimited; vast; infinite
  • Useful for many purposes, e.g., universal wrench .
  • Derived terms

    * universalise, universalize * universal quantifier

    Antonyms

    * nonuniversal

    See also

    * (wikipedia "universal") * general * global

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • (philosophy) A characteristic or property that particular things have in common.
  • *
  • * {{quote-book, year=1970, title=Speech acts, author=John R. Searle
  • , passage=We might also distinguish those expressions which are used to refer to individuals or particulars from those which are used to refer to what philosophers have called universals : e.g., to distinguish such expressions as "Everest" and "this chair" from "the number three", "the color red" and "drunkenness". citation

    See also

    * particular