A particulate inorganic oxide contains an aluminum oxide, a metal oxide forming no composite oxide with an aluminum oxide, and at least one additional element selected from the group consisting of rare earth elements and alkaline earth elements. In the inorganic oxide, a percentage content of the additional element to a total amount of aluminum in the aluminum oxide, a metal element in the metal oxide, and the additional element is in a range from 1.1 at % to 8.0 at % in terms of element content. At least 80% of primary particles in the inorganic oxide have a particle diameter of 100 nm or smaller. At least a part of the primary particles have a surface concentrated region where a percentage content of the additional element is locally increased in a surface layer part thereof. The content of the additional element in the surface concentrated region to a whole amount of the inorganic oxide is in a range from 0.06% by mass to 0.98% by mass in terms of oxide amount.