Someone or something that is special is better or more important than other people or things.
You're very special to me, darling.
There are strong arguments for holidays at Easter and Christmas because these arespecial occasions.
Just to see him was something special.
The famous author was going to be a special guest lecturer on the campus.
2. adjective [ADJECTIVE noun]
Special means different from normal.
The committee can waive this three-year rule in special cases.
So you didn't notice anything special about him?
On her birthday, she invites her dearest friends over for a special meal.
...'Little Scarlet' strawberry jam, made from a special variety of strawberry.
3. adjective [ADJECTIVE noun]
You use special to describe someone who is officially appointed or who has a particular position specially created for them.
Due to his wife's illness, he returned to the State Department as special adviserto the President.
He is a special correspondent for Newsweek magazine.
Synonyms: major, chief, main, primary More Synonyms of special
4. adjective [ADJECTIVE noun]
Special institutions are for people who have serious physical or mental problems.
Police are still searching for a convicted rapist, who escaped from Broadmoor specialhospital yesterday.
5. adjective [ADJECTIVE noun]
You use special to describe something that relates to one particular person, group, or place.
Every anxious person will have his or her own special problems or fears.
...it requires a very special brand of courage to fight dictators.
Synonyms: specific, particular, distinctive, certain More Synonyms of special
6. countable noun
A special is a product, programme, or meal which is not normally available, or which is made for a particular purpose.
...complaints about the BBC's Hallowe'en special, 'Ghostwatch'.
Grocery stores have to offer enough specials to bring people into the store.
...talk shows and news specials.
More Synonyms of special
special in British English
(ˈspɛʃəl)
adjective
1.
distinguished, set apart from, or excelling others of its kind
2. (prenominal)
designed or reserved for a particular purpose
a special tool for working leather
3.
not usual or commonplace
4. (prenominal)
particular or primary
his special interest was music
5.
denoting or relating to the education of children with special needs
a special school
noun
6.
a special person or thing, such as an extra edition of a newspaper or a train reserved for a particular purpose
7.
a dish or meal given prominence, esp at a low price, in a café, etc
8. Australian history slang
a convict given special treatment on account of his education, social class, etc
9. short for special constable
10. Australian, New Zealand, US and Canadian informal
an item in a store that is advertised at a reduced price; a loss leader
verbWord forms: -cials, -cialling or -cialled(transitive)
11. New Zealand informal
to advertise and sell (an item) at a reduced price
we are specialling butter this week
▶ USAGE See note at especial
Derived forms
specially (ˈspecially)
adverb
specialness (ˈspecialness)
noun
Word origin
C13: from Old French especial, from Latin speciālis individual, special, from speciēs appearance, species
special in American English
(ˈspɛʃəl)
adjective
1.
of a kind different from others; distinctive, peculiar, or unique
2.
exceptional; extraordinary
a special treat
3.
highly regarded or valued
a special friend
4.
of or for a particular person, occasion, purpose, etc.
by special permission, a special edition
5.
not general or regular; specific or limited
special legislation
noun
6.
a special person or thing; specif., a special train, edition, sale offer or item, etc.
7. US
a single TV program, not part of a regular series
SYNONYMY NOTE: special, especial both imply that the thing so described has qualities, aspects, or uses which differentiateit from others of its class, and the choice of word generally depends on euphony,but , especial is usually preferred where preeminence is implied [a matter of especial interest to you]; specific, particular are both applied to something that is singled out for attention, but , specific suggests the explicit statement of an example, illustration, etc. [he cited specific cases], and particular emphasizes the distinctness or individuality of the thing so described [in this particular case]
OPPOSITE: general
Word origin
ME < OFr especial < L specialis < species, kind, sort: see species
Examples of 'special' in a sentence
special
Three hot specials were available including a spinach quiche and chick pea stew.
Brown, Sarah Sarah Brown's Vegetarian London (1988)
He has since stepped down from a subsequent role as special adviser.
Times, Sunday Times (2011)
Yet there was clearly something special about him.
The Times Literary Supplement (2010)
Our attendance decreased when we stopped having so many special guest speakers.
Christianity Today (2000)
What has been your most lucrative work and did you use the money to buy anything special?
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
The funnyman landed the guest editor gig for a special edition of the political magazine.
The Sun (2013)
We have a special relationship on the pitch.
Times, Sunday Times (2006)
Love could also be extra special tonight.
The Sun (2006)
You can blend or smudge pencil with a finger to soften lines or to make special effects.
Robertson, Bruce Learn to Draw Countryside (1996)
That has to be a special person.
Hambly, Dr Kenneth Banish Anxiety - how to stop worrying and take charge of your life (1991)
There are also competitions and special offers from family brands.
The Sun (2015)
Who said celebs get special police treatment?
The Sun (2008)
You see how special a relationship can be when it is free from doubt.
The Sun (2016)
You have a fresh insight into family life and sharing special news can draw you closer.
The Sun (2011)
They will include bringing in special visas for foreign entrepreneurs who have backing from leading firms.
The Sun (2010)
Shoppers were trapped in stores as special forces and police swooped on the centre.
The Sun (2016)
You can feel something special in the dressing room.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
It also provides some of the best special needs teaching available.
The Sun (2007)
Did you give guidance to the special adviser on his crucial role?
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
Something special about you today gets you noticed for the right reasons.
The Sun (2009)
This is not a cheap place to eat but is worth the price for a special night out.
Brown, Sarah Sarah Brown's Vegetarian London (1988)
The special forces dissolved in giggles.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
The spy drama goes all 3D this week in a special episode.
The Sun (2009)
Sources say the British special forces have helped to foil two attacks.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
Word lists with
special
beer
In other languages
special
British English: special /ˈspɛʃəl/ ADJECTIVE
Someone or something that is special is different from normal, often in a way that makes them better or more important than other people or things.
You're very special to me, darling.
American English: special
Arabic: خَاصّ
Brazilian Portuguese: especial
Chinese: 特别的
Croatian: specijalan
Czech: zvláštní
Danish: speciel
Dutch: speciaal
European Spanish: especial
Finnish: erikoinen
French: spécial
German: besonders
Greek: ειδικός
Italian: speciale
Japanese: 特別の
Korean: 특별한
Norwegian: spesiell
Polish: specjalny
European Portuguese: especial
Romanian: special
Russian: особый
Latin American Spanish: especial
Swedish: speciell
Thai: พิเศษ
Turkish: özel
Ukrainian: особливий
Vietnamese: đặc biệt
All related terms of 'special'
B Special
a member of a part-time largely Protestant police force formerly functioning in Northern Ireland
Special K
an animal anaesthetic , ketamine hydrochloride , sold illegally as a hallucinogenic drug
special act
a legislative act that applies only to specific persons or to a specific area
extra-special
particular; exceptional
special agent
a detective who works for the federal government in the US, for example for the FBI
special case
an agreed written statement of facts submitted by litigants to a court for a decision on a point of law
special deal
If you make a deal , do a deal , or cut a deal , you complete an agreement or an arrangement with someone, especially in business.
special jury
(formerly) a jury whose members were drawn from some profession or rank of society as well as possessing the usual qualifications for jury service
special needs
People with special needs are people who need special help or care , for example because they have a disability.
special offer
A special offer is a product, service, or programme that is offered at reduced prices or rates.
special order
A special order is an extra order or an order for an item specially requested by a customer .
special place
A place is any point, building, area, town, or country.
special sort
a character, such as an accented letter, that is not a usual member of any font
special staff
all staff officers assigned to headquarters of a division or higher unit who are not members of the general staff or personal staff
special team
any of several predetermined permutations of the players within a team that play in situations , such as kickoffs and attempts at field goals , where the standard offensive and defensive formations are not appropriate
Special Branch
The Special Branch is the department of the British police that is concerned with political security and deals with things such as terrorism and visits by foreign leaders .
special edition
an extra edition or new version of something that differs from the regular format or design
special effect
In film, special effects are unusual pictures or sounds that are created by using special techniques .
special effects
techniques used in the production of scenes that cannot be achieved by normal techniques
special episode
An episode of something such as a series on radio or television or a story in a magazine is one of the separate parts in which it is broadcast or published .
special feature
an article differing from the normal format and focusing on a particular topic
special forces
elite , highly trained military forces, specially selected to work on difficult missions
special licence
a licence permitting a marriage to take place by dispensing with the usual legal conditions
special school
A special school is a school for children who have some kind of serious physical or mental problem .
special session
a session , as of a legislature or council , called to meet in addition to those held regularly
special slalom
a race, esp one downhill , over a winding course marked by artificial obstacles
special student
a student who is not seeking a degree but enrols in a course, esp to gain academic credits
special subject
an area of knowledge in which someone specializes
football special
a train service provided specially to transport football supporters to and from a match
special assessment
(in the US) a special charge levied on property owners by a county or municipality to help pay the costs of a civic improvement that increases the value of their property
special clearing
(in Britain) the clearing of a cheque through a bank in less than the usual three days, for an additional charge
special collection
a collection of materials segregated from a general library collection according to form, subject, age , condition, rarity , source , or value
special constable
a person recruited for temporary or occasional police duties , esp in time of emergency
special delivery
the delivery of a piece of mail outside the time of a scheduled delivery
special dividend
A dividend is the part of a company's profits which is paid to people who have shares in the company.
special education
Special education is teaching for pupils who need extra help with their studies.
special handling
the handling of fourth-class and parcel post mail as first-class mail for an additional fee
special interest
a body of persons, corporation , or industry that seeks or receives benefits or privileged treatment , esp. through legislation
special measures
(in the UK) a status applied to a public-sector establishment which fails to meet standards and is then given assistance to improve its performance
special messenger
a postal worker who delivers mail by special delivery
special pleading
If someone is using special pleading , they are trying to persuade you to do something by only telling you the facts that support their case.
special privilege
a legally endorsed privilege granted exclusively to some individual or group
special relativity
the theory proposed in 1905 by Einstein , which assumes that the laws of physics are equally valid in all nonaccelerated frames of reference and that the speed of electromagnetic radiation in free space has the same value for all inertial observers . It leads to the idea of a space-time continuum and the equivalence of mass and energy . In combination with quantum mechanics it forms the basis of the theory of elementary particles
special schooling
the system of educating children with special needs in schools designed to meet their needs
blue-plate special
an inexpensive restaurant meal served at a fixed price on a large plate, originally blue
special correspondent
a journalist who covers stories firsthand from a war zone
special relationship
the exceptionally close political, diplomatic , cultural and historical relations between the United States and the United Kingdom
special significance
The significance of something is the importance that it has, usually because it will have an effect on a situation or shows something about a situation.
Special Air Service
a regiment in the British Army , formed during World War II, specializing in clandestine operations
Special Boat Service
a unit of the Royal Marines specializing in reconnaissance and sabotage
Chinese translation of 'special'
special
(ˈspɛʃl)
adj
(= important) 特别(別)的 (tèbié de)
(= different) 异(異)常的 (yìcháng de)
⇒ Did you notice anything special about him?你有没有注意到他有什么异常的地方？ (Nǐ yǒu méiyǒu zhùyìdào tā yǒu shénme yìcháng de dìfang?)
(= particular) 专(專)门(門)的 (zhuānmén de)
⇒ To marry a foreigner, special permission has to be obtained.与外国人结婚，须经专门许可。 (Yǔ wàiguórén jiéhūn, xū jīng zhuānmén xǔkě.)
(= extra)[effort, favour]额(額)外的 (éwài de)
⇒ a law which provides special assistance to those with large families为大家庭提供额外帮助的一项法律 (wèi dà jiātíng tígōng éwài bāngzhù de yī xiàng fǎlǜ)
n(c)
(in restaurant) 特色菜 (tèsècài) (道, dào)
(TV, Rad) 特别(別)节(節)目 (tèbié jiémù) (个(個), gè)
(= train) 专(專)列 (zhuānliè) (个(個), gè)
we only use these plates on special occasions我们(們)只在特别(別)场(場)合才用这(這)些碟子 (wǒmen zhǐ zài tèbié chǎnghé cái yòng zhèxiē diézi)