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.
-
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
-
specials
plural
-
a special person or thing.
-
a train used for a particular purpose, occasion, or the like.
-
a special edition of a newspaper.
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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.
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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.
Synonym Usage
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
Derived Forms
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specialnessnoun
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interspecialadjective
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nonspecialadjective
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superspecialadjective
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speciallyadverb
Inflected Forms
Nouns
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; see species, -al 1, especial
Explanation
Special means "better than ordinary." Like the self-portrait you lovingly painted as a surprise for your sweetie's birthday, something special is distinct, and surpasses the norm. Something special is looked upon with affection, surpasses expectations, or has a particular role. It can also be a featured attraction or limited-run occurrence — like when there's a special on television or a special on cheese at the store. Ray Charles said, “Love is a special word, and I use it only when I mean it. You say the word too much and it becomes cheap.” Take this sweet crooner’s advice and don’t wear out special sentiments.
Vocabulary lists containing special
"The Lotus Seed"
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Century 21 Accounting, 9e, Chapters 4-7
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"Glencoe Accounting: Real-World Applications & Connections," Vocabulary from Chapter 11
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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.
See Examples For:
LaMontagne will continue on with his Trouble tour — which features special guest the Weather Station — through Oct.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 9, 2026
Fortunately, saving your chats doesn’t necessarily require any special tech skills.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 9, 2026
Christine Yule, 75, said her son, who has special needs, had just left their house in a taxi.
From BBC ● Sep. 8, 2026
My remembrances of Dave Marsh aren’t special or unique, and I’ve left out so much.
From Salon ● Sep. 8, 2026
“Or maybe I’ll just arrive late and expect special treatment,” I muttered under my breath.
From "Glitch" by Laura Martin
Three new specials commemorate the 25th anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 22, 2026
Mrs Brown's Boys – which this week officially cancelled its festive specials due to creator and star Brendan O'Carroll's broken jaw - has a nomination for best comedy.
From BBC ● Aug. 18, 2026
His roast of Donald Trump catapulted him to stardom, and he has released five hourlong comedy specials, the most recent of which, “Bones and All,” debuted in 2024.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 5, 2026
Now, YouTube subscribers and TikTok followers are part of the equation, along with specials on Netflix, HBO and Hulu.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 3, 2026
They were Rindlisbacher specials, meaning: cases that he’d gotten personally invested in.
From "A Deadly Wandering: A Mystery, a Landmark Investigation, and the Astonishing Science of Attention in the Digital Age" by Matt Richtel
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.
