Meanings
- derogatoryeuphemisticuncountableslavery
He became a great drunkard and a great gambler (vices intimately connected with the "peculiar institution,") and was obliged to give up his business.
1855, Peter Randolph, Illustrations of the 'Peculiar Institution'1 more example
He documents the extensiveness of the peculiar institution's presence throughout the region and establishes a much more realistic context for the emergences of abolitionist sentiments and the various forms it took.
2001, John C. Inscoe, Appalachians and Race, Introduction, page 3
Origin
"Peculiar" here does not mean strange. It means "peculiar" (particular) to a certain area, in this case the Southern United States.
Full word history & related roots →Cite this entry
peculiar institution. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/peculiar%20institution
“peculiar institution.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/peculiar%20institution. Accessed November 5, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “peculiar institution,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/peculiar%20institution.
Source: peculiar institution on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.