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special

special

∞ 1.0
More important or different from what is usual
  • adjective
  • /ˈspɛʃəl/
: especial
  • The chef prepared a special dish for the guests to celebrate the occasion.
  • special attention
  • special interest
  • a special relationship

So it's just really been a special little movie.

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Examples

Synonyms

significant
vsspecial
∞ 2.5

Important and big enough to make a difference

is about being remarkable or better rather than just having impact
extraordinary
vsspecial
  • Formal
746 3.8

Very unusual or much greater than usual

covers being notable or better without stressing extreme rarity
particular
vsspecial
203 3.8

More important than usual

is the general notion of being not ordinary or notable
exceptional
vsspecial
159 4.1

Being much better than normal or usual

is used more broadly for being simply not ordinary or more important
extraordinaire
vsspecial
27 8.6

A person who is very good at one job or skill and stands out

applies more generally to being better or more significant overall
especial
vsspecial
8 7.5

People treat it as more important than other similar things and give it extra care

is the general idea of being not ordinary or more noteworthy
superessential
vsspecial
7.4

Very important and needed for something to work or survive

focuses on being notable or better rather than strict necessity

Antonyms

681 1.0

Normal and not special or unusual

102 4.1

Not important or too small to matter

Idioms

Ordinary and not very interesting

Compounds

186 3.5

A person allowed by law to do one specific task they are told to do

128 3.4

A very well trained military group that carries out secret or dangerous missions

A group or organization that tries to influence government decisions to help its own members

special effect
  • Specialized
74 3.7

An image or sound used in film to show something that cannot be done in real life

special education
  • Specialized
29 3.5

Teaching and support in school for students with physical, mental, or learning difficulties who need extra help

A service that delivers mail faster than usual for an extra fee

A meeting held in addition to regular meetings to deal with urgent or important matters

A group that tries to influence government decisions often by talking to politicians

An international sports event for people with intellectual or physical disabilities

special award
  • Formal
6 2.9

Official recognition given for important achievements or contributions

special relativity
  • Specialized
4 7.1

A theory that says physics works the same for all objects moving at constant speed and light speed is constant

A small extra detail that makes something feel nicer

4 6.6

A part of the police that deals with the country's safety and political crimes like terrorism or spying

An argument that ignores bad evidence to seem true

3 3.5

A small group inside an organization that works on a specific topic or project, not for politics

special jury
  • Archaic
2 7.7

A group of people chosen for their special knowledge to decide a legal case

A small, highly trained group of British soldiers who do secret, dangerous missions

A small, cheap gun often used in crimes

1 7.4

An extra tax on private property that pays for local public work like new sidewalks

1 6.1

A scientific idea that space and time change with speed and that light has the same speed for all observers

A group of people who try to influence government decisions about one issue

1 7.0

A part of the navy that carries out secret, dangerous missions at sea and on land

special act
  • Formal
1 8.3

A law made to help one person, group, or place instead of everyone

A 1905 Einstein theory saying time and space change because light's speed is always the same

1 9.0

Extra international money from the IMF to help countries build foreign currency reserves and keep their exchange rates stable

Special K
  • NSFW
1 9.9

A drug called ketamine used illegally to get high

A group in the United States Army trained to do secret and dangerous missions

1 7.7

A military court that tries soldiers for less serious crimes, usually with three officers

1 6.8

A formal agreement signed and sealed by the people involved, often with a wax seal

1 8.8

A jury statement about specific facts that the judge uses to decide the case

A house sold cheaply because it needs a lot of repair

1 9.8

Believing you are unique and should get extra attention from others

A police unit trained to handle violent situations like hostage crises and armed standoffs

1 7.3

A physics idea that light moves at the same speed and time and space change for moving people

A group of police officers with special training and weapons who handle very dangerous situations like armed suspects or hostages

A planned military action with clear goals that is often secret

Highly trained soldiers who do secret, dangerous missions for the United States Army

8.1

A cheaper apartment with few repairs or updates

An employer gives extra money to employees who have extra duties

9.1

A legal document that adds new facts to answer an accusation

A temporary team of experts from different parts of a company who solve an urgent problem quickly

How Important

crucial
437 3.6
important
∞ 1.0
special
∞ 1.0
notable
114 3.7
ordinary
681 1.0

Surface Forms

special positive
specialer comparative
specialest superlative

Etymology

Special comes from an old Latin word specialis, related to specific and species, with the idea of a thing 'set apart' or 'chosen'. So when something is special it is set apart or more important than the usual.