Search Result for "special": 
Wordnet 3.0

NOUN (3)

1. a special offering (usually temporary and at a reduced price) that is featured in advertising;
- Example: "they are having a special on pork chops"

2. a dish or meal given prominence in e.g. a restaurant;

3. a television production that features a particular person or work or topic;
- Example: "the last of a series of BBC specials on Iran is being shown tonight"


ADJECTIVE (7)

1. unique or specific to a person or thing or category;
- Example: "the particular demands of the job"
- Example: "has a particular preference for Chinese art"
- Example: "a peculiar bond of sympathy between them"
- Example: "an expression peculiar to Canadians"
- Example: "rights peculiar to the rich"
- Example: "the special features of a computer"
- Example: "my own special chair"
[syn: particular(a), peculiar(a), special(a)]

2. for a special service or occasion;
- Example: "a special correspondent"
- Example: "a special adviser to the committee"
- Example: "had to get special permission for the event"

3. surpassing what is common or usual or expected;
- Example: "he paid especial attention to her"
- Example: "exceptional kindness"
- Example: "a matter of particular and unusual importance"
- Example: "a special occasion"
- Example: "a special reason to confide in her"
- Example: "what's so special about the year 2000?"
[syn: especial(a), exceptional, particular(a), special]

4. adapted to or reserved for a particular purpose;
- Example: "a special kind of paint"
- Example: "a special medication for arthritis"

5. having a specific function or scope;
- Example: "a special (or specific) role in the mission"
[syn: limited, special]

6. first and most important;
- Example: "his special interest is music"
- Example: "she gets special (or particular) satisfaction from her volunteer work"
[syn: particular, special]

7. added to a regular schedule;
- Example: "a special holiday flight"
- Example: "put on special buses for the big game"
[syn: extra, special]


The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:

Special \Spe"cial\, a. [L. specialis, fr. species a particular sort, kind, or quality: cf. F. sp['e]cial. See Species, and cf. Especial.] 1. Of or pertaining to a species; constituting a species or sort. [1913 Webster] A special is called by the schools a "species". --I. Watts. [1913 Webster] 2. Particular; peculiar; different from others; extraordinary; uncommon. [1913 Webster] Our Savior is represented everywhere in Scripture as the special patron of the poor and the afficted. --Atterbury. [1913 Webster] To this special evil an improvement of style would apply a special redress. --De Quincey. [1913 Webster] 3. Appropriate; designed for a particular purpose, occasion, or person; as, a special act of Parliament or of Congress; a special sermon. [1913 Webster] 4. Limited in range; confined to a definite field of action, investigation, or discussion; as, a special dictionary of commercial terms; a special branch of study. [1913 Webster] 5. Chief in excellence. [Obs.] [1913 Webster] The king hath drawn The special head of all the land together. --Shak. [1913 Webster] Special administration (Law), an administration limited to certain specified effects or acts, or one granted during a particular time or the existence of a special cause, as during a controversy respecting the probate of a will, or the right of administration, etc. Special agency, an agency confined to some particular matter. Special bail, Bail above, or Bail to the action (Law), sureties who undertake that, if the defendant is convicted, he shall satisfy the plaintiff, or surrender himself into custody. --Tomlins. --Wharton (Law Dict.). Special constable. See under Constable. --Bouvier. Special damage (Law), a damage resulting from the act complained of, as a natural, but not the necessary, consequence of it. Special demurrer (Law), a demurrer for some defect of form in the opposite party pleading, in which the cause of demurrer is particularly stated. Special deposit, a deposit made of a specific thing to be kept distinct from others. Special homology. (Biol.) See under Homology. Special injuction (Law), an injuction granted on special grounds, arising of the circumstances of the case. --Daniell. Special issue (Law), an issue produced upon a special plea. --Stephen. Special jury (Law), a jury consisting of persons of some particular calling, station, or qualification, which is called upon motion of either party when the cause is supposed to require it; a struck jury. Special orders (Mil.), orders which do not concern, and are not published to, the whole command, such as those relating to the movement of a particular corps, a detail, a temporary camp, etc. Special partner, a limited partner; a partner with a limited or restricted responsibility; -- unknown at common law. Special partnership, a limited or particular partnership; -- a term sometimes applied to a partnership in a particular business, operation, or adventure. Special plea in bar (Law), a plea setting forth particular and new matter, distinguished from the general issue. --Bouvier. Special pleader (Law), originally, a counsel who devoted himself to drawing special counts and pleas; in a wider sense, a lawyer who draws pleadings. Special pleading (Law), the allegation of special or new matter, as distingiushed from a direct denial of matter previously alleged on the side. --Bouvier. The popular denomination of the whole science of pleading. --Stephen. The phrase is sometimes popularly applied to the specious, but unsound, argumentation of one whose aim is victory, and not truth. --Burrill. Special property (Law), a qualified or limited ownership possession, as in wild animals, things found or bailed. Special session, an extraordinary session; a session at an unusual time or for an unusual purpose; as, a special session of Congress or of a legislature. Special statute, or Special law, an act of the legislature which has reference to a particular person, place, or interest; a private law; -- in distinction from a general law or public law. Special verdict (Law), a special finding of the facts of the case, leaving to the court the application of the law to them. --Wharton (Law Dict.). [1913 Webster] Syn: Peculiar; appropriate; specific; dictinctive; particular; exceptional; singular. See Peculiar. [1913 Webster]
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:

Special \Spe"cial\, n. 1. A particular. [Obs.] --Hammond. [1913 Webster] 2. One appointed for a special service or occasion. [1913 Webster] In special, specially; in particular. --Chaucer. [1913 Webster]
WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006):

special adj 1: unique or specific to a person or thing or category; "the particular demands of the job"; "has a particular preference for Chinese art"; "a peculiar bond of sympathy between them"; "an expression peculiar to Canadians"; "rights peculiar to the rich"; "the special features of a computer"; "my own special chair" [syn: particular(a), peculiar(a), special(a)] 2: for a special service or occasion; "a special correspondent"; "a special adviser to the committee"; "had to get special permission for the event" 3: surpassing what is common or usual or expected; "he paid especial attention to her"; "exceptional kindness"; "a matter of particular and unusual importance"; "a special occasion"; "a special reason to confide in her"; "what's so special about the year 2000?" [syn: especial(a), exceptional, particular(a), special] 4: adapted to or reserved for a particular purpose; "a special kind of paint"; "a special medication for arthritis" 5: having a specific function or scope; "a special (or specific) role in the mission" [syn: limited, special] 6: first and most important; "his special interest is music"; "she gets special (or particular) satisfaction from her volunteer work" [syn: particular, special] 7: added to a regular schedule; "a special holiday flight"; "put on special buses for the big game" [syn: extra, special] n 1: a special offering (usually temporary and at a reduced price) that is featured in advertising; "they are having a special on pork chops" 2: a dish or meal given prominence in e.g. a restaurant 3: a television production that features a particular person or work or topic; "the last of a series of BBC specials on Iran is being shown tonight"
Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0:

211 Moby Thesaurus words for "special": Amtrak, absolute, another, article, article of commerce, article of merchandise, baggage train, best, bizarre, bosom, cable railroad, categorical, celebrated, celebratory, certain, characteristic, choo-choo, classificational, classificatory, close, closest, cog railroad, cog railway, commodity, concerted, concrete, conspicuous, curious, daily, daily newspaper, dear, defined, defining, definite, deliberate, denominative, designated, detailed, determinate, determined, devoted, different, differential, distinct, distinctive, distinctively, distinguished, divisional, divisionary, drug, el, electric, electric train, elevated, else, eminent, esoteric, especial, esteemed, estimable, exact, exceptional, exclusive, express, express train, extra, extra edition, extraordinary, faithful, feature, festive, finicky, fixed, flier, freight, freight train, freighter, full, funicular, fussy, gala, gazette, good, goods train, idiosyncratic, important, individual, inimitable, inner, interurban, intimate, item, lead item, leader, leading card, lightning express, limited, local, loss leader, loyal, main feature, major, marked, memorable, meticulous, metro, milk train, minute, momentous, monorail, national newspaper, neighborhood newspaper, news, newspaper, newspaper of record, nice, noble, not that sort, not the same, not the type, notable, noteworthy, occasional, odd, of a sort, of another sort, of mark, of sorts, ordinal, other, other than, otherwise, outstanding, paper, paramount, parliamentary, parliamentary train, particular, particularly, passenger train, peculiar, personal, picayune, pointed, precise, prestigious, primary, prime, private, product, prominent, rack-and-pinion railroad, rag, railroad train, rare, rattler, red-letter, remarkable, rememberable, reputable, respective, rolling stock, salient, seconds, set, several, sheet, shuttle, shuttle train, signal, significant, singular, solipsistic, special edition, speciality, specialized, specially, specific, specifically, standard article, staple, staple item, staunch, steadfast, strange, streamliner, striking, subdivisional, subway, sui generis, tabloid, taxonomic, telling, train, tube, typal, typical, uncommon, unconventional, underground, unforgettable, unique, unorthodox, unusual, valued, vendible, ware, way train, weekly, weekly newspaper, weird
The Free On-line Dictionary of Computing (30 December 2018):

SPECIAL A specification language, developed at SRI around 1976, used to specify the abstract machines in Hierarchical Design Methodology (HDM). ["SPECIAL - A Specification and Assertion Language", L. Robinson et al, TR CSL-46, SRI, Jan 1977]. (2012-07-08)
Bouvier's Law Dictionary, Revised 6th Ed (1856):

SPECIAL. That which relates to a particular species or kind, opposed to general; as special verdict and general verdict; special imparlance and general imparlance; special jury, or one selected for a particular case, and general jury; special issue and general issue, &c.