special
Americanadjective
-
of a distinct or particular kind or character.
a special kind of key.
- Antonyms:
- general
-
being a particular one; particular, individual, or certain.
You'd better call the special number.
-
pertaining or peculiar to a particular person, thing, instance, etc.; distinctive; unique.
the special features of a plan.
-
having a specific or particular function, purpose, etc..
a special messenger.
-
distinguished or different from what is ordinary or usual: to fix something special.
a special occasion;
to fix something special.
- Synonyms:
- singular
-
extraordinary; exceptional, as in amount or degree; especial.
special importance.
-
being such in an exceptional degree; particularly valued.
a special friend.
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Sometimes Offensive. pertaining to people with singular needs or disabilities, or to their education.
disabled students with special needs;
state funding for special schools.
noun
-
a special person or thing.
-
a train used for a particular purpose, occasion, or the like.
-
a special edition of a newspaper.
-
Theater. a spotlight reserved for a particular area, property, actor, etc..
Give me the coffin special.
-
a temporary, arbitrary reduction in the price of regularly stocked goods, especially food; a particularly worthwhile offer or price.
The special this week is on sirloin steaks.
-
Television. a single program not forming part of a regular series.
adjective
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distinguished, set apart from, or excelling others of its kind
-
(prenominal) designed or reserved for a particular purpose
a special tool for working leather
-
not usual or commonplace
-
(prenominal) particular or primary
his special interest was music
-
denoting or relating to the education of physically or mentally handicapped children
a special school
noun
-
a special person or thing, such as an extra edition of a newspaper or a train reserved for a particular purpose
-
a dish or meal given prominence, esp at a low price, in a café, etc
-
slang history a convict given special treatment on account of his education, social class, etc
-
short for special constable
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informal an item in a store that is advertised at a reduced price; a loss leader
verb
Sensitive Note
In the 20th century, special was used freely as a modifier describing services or accessibility resources for people with disabilities or disabled people's functional needs, and sometimes as a euphemism for disabled to label the people themselves. Most euphemistic language for disabilities and people with disabilities is no longer preferred, and special used in this way may be considered offensive, especially when used to describe a person. The phrase special needs is somewhat more accepted, but is less common than it used to be. Instead, when possible, make reference to the specific disability in question. However, the fixed expression special education is still an official designation in public education and continues to be used, even by speakers who otherwise avoid special and its compounds.
Usage
In American English the adjective special is overwhelmingly more common than especial in all senses: He will be of special help if you can't understand the documentation. The reverse is true of the adverbs; here especially is by far the more common: He will be of great help, especially if you have trouble understanding the documentation. Only when the sense “specifically” is intended is specially more idiomatic: The machine was specially designed for use by a left-handed operator.
Related Words
Special, particular, specific refer to something pointed out for attention and consideration. Special means given unusual treatment because of being uncommon: a special sense of a word. Particular implies something selected from the others of its kind and set off from them for attention: a particular variety of orchid. Specific implies plain and unambiguous indication of a particular instance, example, etc.: a specific instance of cowardice.
Other Word Forms
- interspecial adjective
- nonspecial adjective
- specially adverb
- specialness noun
- superspecial adjective
Etymology
Origin of special
First recorded in 1175–1225; Middle English (adjective), from Latin speciālis “of a given species,” equivalent to speci(ēs) “form, kind, sort” + -ālis adjective suffix; species, -al 1, especial
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Students at Portobello High School and Queensferry High School were issued with special wallets which, once sealed, require a magnetic pad to unlock them.
From BBC
"I remember seeing Josh as a four-year-old bowling on the square at Redditch, chasing balls around. It was very, very special. And we're really proud of him."
From BBC
“He’s not gonna go around and hype you up, tell you something you want to hear, he’ll tell you what you need to hear and that’s what makes him so special as a coach.”
From Los Angeles Times
First, a supply chain warrants special focus when its disruption would quickly threaten lives, core defense missions or essential economic functions.
“We’ve chosen to stay because of how special this place is, you know?”
From Los Angeles Times
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
