English edit

Alternative forms edit

Etymology edit

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 edit

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

Adjective edit

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[1], 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 edit

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 edit

Related terms edit

Translations edit

Anagrams edit

Catalan edit

Etymology edit

Borrowed from Latin speciālis.

Pronunciation edit

Adjective edit

especial m or f (masculine and feminine plural especials)

  1. special

Derived terms edit

Related terms edit

Further reading edit

Occitan edit

Alternative forms edit

Etymology edit

From Latin speciālis.

Pronunciation edit

  • (file)

Adjective edit

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

  1. special

Derived terms edit

Related terms edit

Further reading edit

Old French edit

Etymology edit

From Latin speciālis.

Adjective edit

especial m (oblique and nominative feminine singular especiale)

  1. special
  2. powerful; mighty

Declension edit

Portuguese edit

Etymology edit

Borrowed from Latin speciālis.

Pronunciation edit

 
  • (Brazil) IPA(key): /is.pe.siˈaw/ [is.pe.sɪˈaʊ̯], (faster pronunciation) /is.peˈsjaw/ [is.peˈsjaʊ̯], /es.pe.siˈaw/ [es.pe.sɪˈaʊ̯], (faster pronunciation) /es.peˈsjaw/ [es.peˈsjaʊ̯]
    • (Rio de Janeiro) IPA(key): /iʃ.pe.siˈaw/ [iʃ.pe.sɪˈaʊ̯], (faster pronunciation) /iʃ.peˈsjaw/ [iʃ.peˈsjaʊ̯], /eʃ.pe.siˈaw/ [eʃ.pe.sɪˈaʊ̯], (faster pronunciation) /eʃ.peˈsjaw/ [eʃ.peˈsjaʊ̯]
    • (Southern Brazil) IPA(key): /es.pe.siˈaw/ [es.pe.sɪˈaʊ̯], (faster pronunciation) /es.peˈsjaw/ [es.peˈsjaʊ̯]
 
  • (Portugal) IPA(key): /(i)ʃ.pɨˈsjal/ [(i)ʃ.pɨˈsjaɫ]
    • (Southern Portugal) IPA(key): /(i)ʃ.pɨˈsja.li/

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

Adjective edit

especial m or f (plural especiais)

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

Derived terms edit

Further reading edit

Spanish edit

Etymology edit

Borrowed from Latin speciālis.

Pronunciation edit

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

Adjective edit

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 edit

Related terms edit

Noun edit

especial m (plural especiales)

  1. (television) special

Further reading edit