English Lexicon

Special

/ˈspɛʃ.əl/
adjectiveCEFR B1 (Intermediate)Top #800 frequency
Full Thesaurus

Comprehensive Definitions & Senses

2 senses
As adjective
  1. 1

    Better, greater, or otherwise different from what is usual.

    "She received special treatment because of her outstanding performance."
  2. 2

    Designed for a particular purpose or occasion.

    "The restaurant offers a special menu for holidays."

Thesaurus & Semantic Spectrum

Antonyms & Contrasting Words (1)

Linguistic Origin & Historical Etymology

The word 'special' originates from the Latin 'specialis', meaning 'individual' or 'particular', which evolved through Old French 'special' in the 14th century, retaining the sense of distinction or uniqueness.

Quick Vocabulary Retention Check

Which of the following is the closest synonym for "Special"?

Thesaurus & Synonyms Graph

Explore Nuanced Synonyms for "Special"

Discover exact matches, context-specific alternatives, and antonyms with intensity ratings in the VocabDictionary Thesaurus.

View "Special" Synonym Map