special

[spesh-uhl]

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR special ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective

of a distinct or particular kind or character: a special kind of key.

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: a special occasion; to fix something special.

extraordinary; exceptional, as in amount or degree; especial: special importance.

being such in an exceptional degree; particularly valued: a special friend.

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.

Origin of special

1175–1225; Middle English (adj.) < Latin speciālis of a given species, equivalent to speci(ēs) species + -ālis -al¹; see especial

Related formsspe·cial·ly, adverbin·ter·spe·cial, adjectivenon·spe·cial, adjective, nounnon·spe·cial·ly, adverbsu·per·spe·cial, adjective, noun

Can be confusedespecially specially (see synonym study at especially) (see usage note at the current entry)specially specialty

Synonyms for special

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR special ON THESAURUS.COM

5. singular.

Synonym study

5. 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.

Antonyms for special

1. general.

Usage note

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.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Related Words for specially

expressly, especially, specifically, uniquely, distinctively

Examples from the Web for specially

Contemporary Examples of specially

On December 10, the Specially Designated Secrets Law will go into effect.
‘Whip it!’ Japanese Prime Minister Abe’s Cabinet Of Horrors
Jake Adelstein
October 24, 2014
They served in the volunteer Donbass Battalion, one of three specially organized National Guard battalions.
Bitter Survivors and Caravans of Coffins from Ukraine’s “Eastern Boiler”
Anna Nemtsova
September 14, 2014
Rivers was reportedly having her hair and make-up done, the room had been specially decorated, and her two dogs had visited her.
Joan Rivers: 'Death Is Like Plastic Surgery'
Tim Teeman
September 4, 2014
The elite troops are specially trained Swiss soldiers between the age of 19 and 30.
Vatican’s Pope-Protecting Swiss Guards Accused Of Secret Gay Lobby
Barbie Latza Nadeau
January 24, 2014
For example, Clapper said only specially trained personnel could access the vast database of metadata collected by the government.
Phone Records Shared With U.K.
Eli Lake
June 7, 2013

Historical Examples of specially

What he specially disliked was that his master was a foreigner.
The Armourer's Prentices
Charlotte M. Yonge
It was Aldonza, however, who specially touched her feelings.
The Armourer's Prentices
Charlotte M. Yonge
The unhappy woman, to whom I had specially come, was smitten indeed.
Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine, No. 327
Various
No one department of human effort is specially His, or is His special expression.
The Conquest of Fear
Basil King
To ascribe them specially to God would seem to us far-fetched.
The Conquest of Fear
Basil King

British Dictionary definitions for specially

special

adjective

distinguished, set apart from, or excelling others of its kind

(prenominal) designed or reserved for a particular purposea special tool for working leather

not usual or commonplace

(prenominal) particular or primaryhis special interest was music

denoting or relating to the education of physically or mentally handicapped childrena 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

Australian history slang a convict given special treatment on account of his education, social class, etc

short for special constable

Australian, NZ, US and Canadian informal an item in a store that is advertised at a reduced price; a loss leader

verb -cials, -cialling or -cialled (tr)

NZ informal to advertise and sell (an item) at a reduced pricewe are specialling butter this week

Derived Formsspecially, adverbspecialness, noun

Word Origin for special

C13: from Old French especial, from Latin speciālis individual, special, from speciēs appearance, species

xref

See especial

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for specially

special

adj.

early 13c., "better than ordinary," from Old French especial, from Latin specialis "individual, particular," from species "appearance, kind, sort" (see species). Meaning "marked off from others by some distinguishing quality" is recorded from c.1300. In Middle English, also as a noun meaning "sweetheart, lover." Meaning "special train" is attested from 1866. Special effects first attested 1951. Special interests in U.S. political sense is from 1910. Special pleading first recorded 1680s.