especial

[ ih-spesh-uhl ]
See synonyms for especial on Thesaurus.com
adjective
  1. special; exceptional; outstanding: of no especial importance; an especial friend.

  2. of a particular kind, or peculiar to a particular one; particular: your especial case.

Origin of especial

1
1350–1400; Middle English <Middle French <Latin speciālis pertaining to a particular kind. See special

confusables note For especial

See special.

Other words from especial

  • es·pe·cial·ness, noun

Words Nearby especial

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How to use especial in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for especial

especial

/ (ɪˈspɛʃəl) /


adjective(prenominal)
  1. unusual; notable; exceptional: he paid especial attention to her that evening

  2. applying to one person or thing in particular; not general; specific; peculiar: he had an especial dislike of relatives

Origin of especial

1
C14: from Old French, from Latin speciālis individual; see special

usage For especial

Especial and especially have a more limited use than special and specially. Special is always used in preference to especial when the sense is one of being out of the ordinary: a special lesson; he has been specially trained. Special is also used when something is referred to as being for a particular purpose: the word was specially underlined for you. Where an idea of pre-eminence or individuality is involved, either especial or special may be used: he is my especial (or special) friend; he is especially (or specially) good at his job. In informal English, however, special is usually preferred in all contexts

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