different between individual vs special

English

Alternative forms

• individuall (obsolete)

Etymology

From Medieval Latin ind?vidu?lis, from Latin ind?viduum (“an indivisible thing”), neuter of ind?viduus (“indivisible, undivided”), from in + d?viduus (“divisible”), from d?vid? (“divide”).

Pronunciation

• (General American) IPA^(key): /??nd??v?d??u.?l/, /??nd??v?d??w?l/, /??nd??v?d???l/, /??nd??-/
• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /??nd??v?d????l/, /??nd??v?d???l/, /??nd??-/
• (General New Zealand) IPA^(key): /??nd??v?d???.?l/, /??nd??v?d???l/

Noun

individual (plural individuals)

1. A person considered alone, rather than as belonging to a group of people.

2. (law) A single physical human being as a legal subject, as opposed to a legal person such as a corporation.
   • 1982, Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms:

     Every individual is equal before and under the law and has the right to the equal protection and equal benefit of the law without discrimination […].

3. An object, be it a thing or an agent, as contrasted to a class.
4. (statistics) An element belonging to a population.

Translations

Adjective

individual (comparative more individual, superlative most individual)

1. Relating to a single person or thing as opposed to more than one.

2. Intended for a single person as opposed to more than one person.

3. Not divisible without losing its identity.

Synonyms

• (relating to a single person or thing): single, self-standing
• (intended for a single person or thing): personal, single

Antonyms

• (relating to a single person or thing): collective
• (intended for a single person or thing): group, joint, shared

Related terms

Translations

Further reading

• individual in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.
• individual in The Century Dictionary, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911.
• "individual" in Raymond Williams, Keywords (revised), 1983, Fontana Press, page 161.

Catalan

Noun

individual (masculine and feminine plural individuals)

1. individual

Derived terms

• individualisme
• individualista
• individualitzar
• individualment

Related terms

• individu
• individualitat

Further reading

• “individual” in Diccionari de la llengua catalana, segona edició, Institut d’Estudis Catalans.

Galician

Adjective

individual m or f (plural individuais)

1. individual

Derived terms

• individualismo
• individualista
• individualizar
• individualmente

Related terms

• individuo
• individualidade

Further reading

• “individual” in Dicionario da Real Academia Galega, Royal Galician Academy.

Portuguese

Pronunciation

• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /?.d??i.vi.du.?aw/

Adjective

individual m or f (plural individuais, comparable)

1. individual

Derived terms

• individualismo
• individualista
• individualmente

Further reading

• “individual” in Dicionário Priberam da Língua Portuguesa.

Romanian

Etymology

From French individuel

Adjective

individual m or n (feminine singular individual?, masculine plural individuali, feminine and neuter plural individuale)

1. individual

Declension

Related terms

• individualism
• individualist
• individualitate

Spanish

Adjective

individual (plural individuales)

1. individual
2. case-by-case
3. one-on-one (e.g., relationship or bond)
4. one-man (e.g., a one-man show)
5. personal, individualized

Derived terms

• individualismo
• individualista
• individualizar
• individualmente
• persecución individual

Related terms

• individuo
• individualidad

Noun

individual m (plural individuales)

1. place mat

Further reading

• “individual” 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