English Explanatory Dictionary

special

English dictionary entry

Meanings

adj
  1. Distinguished by a unique, particular, or unusual quality.
  2. Of particular value or interest; dear; beloved.
  3. Of or related to unconventional warfare.
  4. Appointed specifically to examine a single event or issue.
  5. Constituting or relating to a species.
  6. Of or related to disabilities, especially learning or intellectual disabilities.
  7. Stupid, lacking intelligence.
  8. Of, being, or pertaining to sexual intercourse or the genitals.
  9. Infused with a drug, especially marijuana; being an edible.
noun
  1. A reduction in consumer cost (usually for a limited time) for items or services rendered; the thing thus sold.
  2. A meal offered only at a certain time by a restaurant, not as a standing fixture of the menu; often, one of a rotation of meals systematically offered for a lower price; also often a dish at a nondiscounted price that is seasonal or otherwise exciting or unusual.
  3. Unusual or exceptional episode of a series.
  4. A special constable.
  5. Anything that is not according to normal practice, plan, or schedule, as an unscheduled run of transportation that is normally scheduled.
  6. Any unlicensed medicine produced or obtained for a specific individual patient.
  7. An award, typically a free game, that is made available to the player upon reaching or completing a major objective in a pinball game.
  8. A journalist sent to the scene of an event to report back.
  9. A dispatch sent back by a special correspondent.
  10. A light that illuminates a specific person or thing on the stage.
  11. One of certain mixed-breed dogs.
  12. A racehorse predicted to win; a sure thing.
verb
  1. To supervise a patient one-on-one.

Pronunciation

spĕʹshəl /ˈspɛʃ.əl/ [ˈspɛʃ.ɫ̩] En-us-special.ogg /ˈspeʃ.əl/ [ˈspeʃ.ɫ̩]

Word forms

special more special specialer most special specialest specials specialing specialling specialed specialled

Etymology

From Middle English *special, especial, especiall, from Old French especial (whence also French spécial), from Latin speciālis (from speciēs). In this sense displaced native Old English synderlīċ. Doublet of especial.

Synonyms

specific offer

Antonyms

common common-or-garden everyday general nonspecial ordinary run-of-the-mill usual

Related words

especial especially

Derived words

antispecial genderspecial hyperspecial in special interspecial manager's special nothing special on special special administrative region special agent special area special-case special case special character special constable special counsel special creation special damages special defence special defense special delivery special drawing right special economic zone special ed special education special education advocate special educator special effect special election special event special forces special fried rice special friend special function special grace special handling unit special interest special interest group specialisation specialise specialism special issue specialist speciality special lassi special licence special linear group specially special master special measures special military operation special move special name specialness specialogue Special Olympics special omelette special operation special operations special ops

Translations

Hebrew: מיוחד \ מְיֻחָד Hungarian: kisegítő Hungarian: speciális Persian: استثنایی Swedish: speciell
This entry uses open data from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA/GFDL). Word forms are used for search and are not indexed as separate pages.
Back to search All on S Russian dictionary Dahl dictionary