especial

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English

Alternative forms

Etymology

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

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ɛsˈpɛʃəl/
  • Rhymes: -ɛʃəl
  • Hyphenation: es‧pe‧cial

Adjective

especial (comparative more especial, superlative most especial)

  1. Exceptional in importance or significance; special.
    Pay especial attention to chapter five.
    an especial hatred of cats
    • 1941 July, “The Why and the Wherefore: Inner and Outer Distant Signals”, in Railway Magazine, page 336:
      [...] this is of especial value in foggy weather.
    • 2018, James Lambert, “A multitude of ‘lishes’: The nomenclature of hybridity”, in English World-Wide, page 5:
      Starting from this base list, a number of databases were systematically searched for terms, with especial effort taken to discover the earliest attestation possible[.]
  2. Particular.
    acting with no especial goal
    • 1837, L[etitia] E[lizabeth] L[andon], “The Influence of the Dead”, in Ethel Churchill: Or, The Two Brides. , volume II, London: Henry Colburn, , →OCLC, page 270:
      Only one modern picture was admitted, and that was a likeness of Constance, painted under her father's especial instructions.

Usage notes

Especial is far less common than special, but they are not exact synonyms. Especial typically encompasses special, but also connotes some quality of being particular, separate, or chosen from among others.

Derived terms

Related terms

Translations

Anagrams

Catalan

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin speciālis.

Pronunciation

Adjective

especial m or f (masculine and feminine plural especials)

  1. special

Derived terms

Related terms

Further reading

Occitan

Alternative forms

Etymology

From Latin speciālis.

Pronunciation

  • (file)

Adjective

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

  1. special

Derived terms

Related terms

Further reading

Old French

Etymology

From Latin speciālis.

Adjective

especial m (oblique and nominative feminine singular especiale)

  1. special
  2. powerful; mighty

Declension

Portuguese

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin speciālis.

Pronunciation

 
  • (Brazil) IPA(key): /is.pe.siˈaw/ , (faster pronunciation) /is.peˈsjaw/ , /es.pe.siˈaw/ , (faster pronunciation) /es.peˈsjaw/
    • (Rio de Janeiro) IPA(key): /iʃ.pe.siˈaw/ , (faster pronunciation) /iʃ.peˈsjaw/ , /eʃ.pe.siˈaw/ , (faster pronunciation) /eʃ.peˈsjaw/
    • (Southern Brazil) IPA(key): /es.pe.siˈaw/ , (faster pronunciation) /es.peˈsjaw/
 

  • Rhymes: (Portugal) -al, (Brazil) -aw
  • Hyphenation: es‧pe‧ci‧al

Adjective

especial m or f (plural especiais)

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

Derived terms

Further reading

Spanish

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin speciālis.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): (Spain) /espeˈθjal/
  • IPA(key): (Latin America) /espeˈsjal/
  • Audio (Colombia):(file)
  • Rhymes: -al
  • Syllabification: es‧pe‧cial

Adjective

especial m or f (masculine and feminine plural especiales)

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

Derived terms

Related terms

Noun

especial m (plural especiales)

  1. (television) special

Further reading