Particularly

Part of speech: adverb

Pronunciation: /pəˈtʰɪkjələli/

Definitions

1. In a special or unusual degree; especially or specifically in relation to one thing among others
2. In a distinct or noteworthy manner
3. in a way that emphasizes one specific aspect or item over others present in the context

Etymology: "Particularly" is simply "particular" with the adverb-making ending "-ly" added, and the "-ly" itself has a long pedigree. It descends from a Germanic suffix meaning roughly "having the form or appearance of," which in Old English took the shape "-līce" and was attached to adjectives to turn them into adverbs of manner. Middle English then shortened it to "-ly," the form it keeps today. "Particular" came into English from Latin "particularis," meaning belonging to a small part, a derivative of "particula," a little part. That origin is the key to the modern sense: a particular thing is one singled out from the whole. An adverb built on it therefore points attention toward one item or quality out of many, which is why "particularly" now means "above all others" as well as the older sense of "in a detailed or individual way."

Synonyms: especially, specifically, notably

Antonyms: generally, ordinarily