idiosyncrasy
Distinctive individual trait
An idiosyncrasy is a distinctive habit, mannerism, or way of behaving peculiar to an individual: One of her idiosyncrasies was eating dessert before the main course.
The word often carries affection—these quirks make people interesting rather than strange.
Idiosyncrasies can also belong to systems or machines: Every old house has its idiosyncrasies.
Unusual distinguishing characteristic
- odditySomething unusual or unexpected
- foibleMinor personal flaw
- eccentricityUnconventional behavior or nature
- whimsyPlayful, capricious quality
caprice · kink · tic · mannerism · crotchet · vagary · habit · tendency
Quality of being distinguishable
- singularityPoint where values explode
- individualityUnique personal character
- originalityNovel creative quality
- particularitySpecific distinguishing feature
specialness · character · signature · hallmark · trademark · fingerprint · stamp · identity
Departure from the expected
- aberrationDeviation from the norm
- irregularityDeparture from standard
- exceptionDeviation from standard
- outlierDistant data point
departure · divergence · abnormality · incongruity · variance · nonconformity · unconventionality · unorthodoxy
Peculiar behavioral trait
- whimsicalityPlayfully fanciful quality
- oddnessQuality of being unusual
- strangenessQuality of being peculiar
- bizarrenessQuality of extreme strangeness
outlandishness · unconventionality · nonconformity · bohemianism · offbeat · kookiness · zaniness · flamboyance
Inborn behavioral nature
- dispositionInherent character or arrangement
- characterNature, symbol, or role
- psycheTotal mental life
- constitutionInherent physical or structural makeup
makeup · mentality · mindset · persona · nature · spirit · qualities · attributes
peculiarity
Unusual distinguishing characteristic
- odditySomething unusual or unexpected
- foibleMinor personal flaw
- eccentricityUnconventional behavior or nature
whimsy · caprice · kink · tic · mannerism · crotchet · vagary · habit · tendency · predilection
distinctiveness
Quality of being distinguishable
- singularityPoint where values explode
- individualityUnique personal character
- originalityNovel creative quality
particularity · specialness · character · signature · hallmark · trademark · fingerprint · stamp · identity · selfhood
anomaly
Departure from the expected
- aberrationDeviation from the norm
- irregularityDeparture from standard
- exceptionDeviation from standard
outlier · departure · divergence · abnormality · incongruity · variance · nonconformity · unconventionality · unorthodoxy · atypicality
quirk
Peculiar behavioral trait
- whimsicalityPlayfully fanciful quality
- oddnessQuality of being unusual
- strangenessQuality of being peculiar
bizarreness · outlandishness · unconventionality · nonconformity · bohemianism · offbeat · kookiness · zaniness · flamboyance · quirkiness
temperament
Inborn behavioral nature
- dispositionInherent character or arrangement
- characterNature, symbol, or role
- psycheTotal mental life
constitution · makeup · mentality · mindset · persona · nature · spirit · qualities · attributes · characteristics
- Anomaliesanomaly, deviation, aberration, irregularity, oddity
- strangenessodd, weird, strange, bizarre, peculiar
- fancy wordsgrandiloquent, magniloquent, sesquipedalian, pulchritudinous, tintinnabulation
- homeopathyremedies, calendula, dilutions, like cures like, hypericum
- originalityoriginality, uniqueness, novelty, creativity, inventiveness
- traitshonesty, ambitious, brave, calm, kindness
idiosyncrasyconformity
Adherence to norms
universality · uniformity · commonality · sameness · homogeneity
idiosyncrasynormality
State of being typical
normalcy · convention · norm · regularity · typicality
idiosyncrasygenerality
Nonspecific broad assertion
universality · generalization · rule · principle · trend