different between especial vs special

English

Alternative forms

• especiall (obsolete)

Etymology

From Middle English especial, via Old French especial, from Latin specialis, from species (“appearance, form, beauty”), from specere (“to look”). Related to English special and species.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?s?p???l/
• Rhymes: -???l
• Hyphenation: es?pe?cial

Adjective

especial (comparative more especial, superlative most especial)

1. Exceptional in importance or significance; special.
2. Particular.

Usage notes

especial is far less common than special

Derived terms

• especially

Related terms

• special

Translations

Anagrams

• Speciale, calipees

Catalan

Etymology

From Latin speci?lis.

Pronunciation

• (Balearic, Central) IPA^(key): /?s.p?.si?al/
• (Valencian) IPA^(key): /es.pe.si?al/

Adjective

especial (masculine and feminine plural especials)

1. special

Derived terms

Related terms

• especialitat

Further reading

• “especial” in Diccionari de la llengua catalana, segona edició, Institut d’Estudis Catalans.
• “especial” in Gran Diccionari de la Llengua Catalana, Grup Enciclopèdia Catalana.
• “especial” in Diccionari normatiu valencià, Acadèmia Valenciana de la Llengua.
• “especial” in Diccionari català-valencià-balear, Antoni Maria Alcover and Francesc de Borja Moll, 1962.

Occitan

Alternative forms

• especiau (Gascon, Limousin, Provençal)

Etymology

From Latin speci?lis.

Adjective

especial m (feminine singular especiala, masculine plural especials, feminine plural especialas)

1. special

Derived terms

Related terms

• especialitat

Further reading

• Diccionari General de la Lenga Occitana, L’Academia occitana – Consistòri del Gai Saber, 2008-2016, page 117.

Old French

Etymology

From Latin speci?lis.

Adjective

especial m (oblique and nominative feminine singular especiale)

1. special
2. powerful; mighty

Declension

Portuguese

Etymology

From Latin speci?lis.

Pronunciation

• (Portugal) IPA^(key): /i?.p?.?sja?/
• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /is.?pe.si.?aw/, [?s?.?pe.s??.?ä??]
• Hyphenation: es?pe?ci?al

Adjective

especial m or f (plural especiais, comparable)

1. special
2. (euphemistic) disabled (having some physical disability)

Derived terms

• especialidade
• especialmente

Noun

especial m (plural especiais)

1. This term needs a translation to English. Please help out and add a translation, then remove the text {{rfdef}}.

Further reading

• “especial” in iDicionário Aulete.
• “especial” in Dicionário inFormal.
• “especial” in Dicionário Aberto based on Novo Diccionário da Língua Portuguesa de Cândido de Figueiredo, 1913
• “especial” in Dicionário infopédia da Língua Portuguesa. Porto: Porto Editora, 2003–2021.
• “especial” in Michaelis Dicionário Brasileiro da Língua Portuguesa.
• “especial” in Dicionário Priberam da Língua Portuguesa.

Spanish

Etymology

From Latin speci?lis.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): (Spain) /espe??jal/, [es.pe??jal]
• IPA^(key): (Latin America) /espe?sjal/, [es.pe?sjal]

Adjective

especial (plural especiales)

1. special (distinguished by a unique quality)
2. special (of particular interest or value)

Derived terms

Related terms

• especialidad

Further reading

• “especial” in Diccionario de la lengua española, Vigésima tercera edición, Real Academia Española, 2014.

English

Etymology

From Middle English *special, especial, especiall, from Old French especial (whence also French spécial), from Latin specialis (from species, speciei).

Pronunciation

• enPR: sp??sh?l, IPA^(key): /?sp?.??l/
• Rhymes: -???l

Adjective

special (comparative more special or specialer, superlative most special or specialest)

1. Distinguished by a unique or unusual quality.

2. Of particular personal interest or value; dear; beloved.

3. (euphemistic) Of or related to disabilities, especially learning or intellectual disabilities.

4. Constituting or relating to a species.

5. Chief in excellence.
6. (military) Of or related to unconventional warfare.

Antonyms

• (distinguished by a unique or unusual quality): common, non-special, ordinary, usual

Derived terms

Related terms

Translations

Noun

special (plural specials)

1. A reduction in consumer cost (usually for a limited time) for items or services rendered.

2. One of a rotation of meals systematically offered for a lower price at a restaurant.

3. (broadcasting) Unusual or exceptional episode of a series.

4. (Britain, colloquial) 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. (journalism) A correspondent; a journalist sent to the scene of an event to report back.
8. (journalism) A dispatch sent back by a special correspondent.
9. (theater) A light that illuminates a specific person or thing on the stage.
   • 2009, Steven Shelley, A Practical Guide to Stage Lighting (page 132)

     In addition to followspots, there will be three frontlight specials on Autoyokes hung on the truss to provide frontlight specials.

   • 2009, Jennifer Bringle, Lighting (page 23)

     The first is a special—a single lighting instrument that lights a particular spot on the stage. Specials generally have no color, or a more saturated color, allowing them to stand out through other lighting onstage.

Translations

Verb

special (third-person singular simple present specials, present participle specialing or specialling, simple past and past participle specialed or specialled)

1. (nursing) To supervise a patient one-on-one.

Anagrams

• epicals, piacles, plaices

Dutch

Etymology

Borrowed from English special.

Pronunciation

• (Netherlands) IPA^(key): /?sp?.??l/, /?sp?.??l/
• Hyphenation: spe?ci?al

Noun

special m (plural specials)

1. A special broadcast episode.

Related terms

• speciaal

Middle French

Adjective

special m (feminine singular speciale, masculine plural speciaulx, feminine plural speciales)

1. special; extraordinary; beyond what is usual

Romanian

Etymology

From French spécial, from Latin specialis.

Adjective

special m or n (feminine singular special?, masculine plural speciali, feminine and neuter plural speciale)

1. special

Declension