Particularise

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. To provide detailed specifications regarding a subject or item while highlighting its unique characteristics or features
2. To clarify and elaborate on specific elements of a matter in a distinct and precise way
3. To express or describe something by giving precise and unique details that distinguish it clearly

Etymology: "Particularise" is the British spelling of "particularize," and its history is a straightforward pairing of two parts. The first is "particular," which comes from Latin "particularis," meaning relating to a single part or detail, from "pars" (part). The second is the suffix "-ize," which English took from Greek through Late Latin: the Ancient Greek ending "-izein" was used to form verbs meaning to make or to treat in a certain way, and it passed through Late Latin "-izare" and Middle French "-iser" before reaching English as "-isen" in Middle English. Put together, "particularise" means to make something particular, that is, to pick out its individual features and state them clearly. The sense of giving detailed information follows naturally: to particularize a claim is to break it down into its specific parts rather than leaving it general.

Synonyms: specify, detail

Antonyms: generalise