characteristic vs peculiarity

characteristic

noun
  • A distinguishing feature of a person or thing. 

  • For a given field or ring, a natural number that is either the smallest positive number n such that n instances of the multiplicative identity (1) summed together yield the additive identity (0) or, if no such number exists, the number 0. 

  • The integer part of a logarithm. 

  • The distinguishing features of a navigational light on a lighthouse etc by which it can be identified (colour, pattern of flashes etc.). 

adj
  • Being a distinguishing feature of a person or thing. 

peculiarity

noun
  • That which is peculiar; a special and distinctive characteristic or habit; particularity. 

  • Exclusive possession or right. 

  • The quality or state of being peculiar; individuality; singularity. 

How often have the words characteristic and peculiarity occurred in a corpus of books? (source: Google Ngram Viewer )