especial

C2+ Topic:Describing Qualities

US /ɪˈspɛʃəl/ UK /ɪˈspɛʃəl/ See IPA manual

adj

Meanings

1

adj
special; exceptional in degree or importance

He treated the old letters with especial care.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 adj · special; exceptional in... special exceptional particular notable outstanding singular

Opposites

ordinary general common usual

Word family

Derived forms especially

Related forms special specially species

Etymology

From Old French especial, from Latin specialis 'particular, individual', from species 'kind, sort, appearance', from specere 'to look'.

especial Old French specialis Latin specere Latin

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Describing Qualities Word Formation & Derivatives

# especial

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C2+
**Part of speech:** adj
**IPA (US):** ɪˈspɛʃəl
**IPA (UK):** ɪˈspɛʃəl

## Meanings
1. special; exceptional in degree or importance

## Examples
- He treated the old letters with especial care.

## Synonyms
- special
- exceptional
- particular
- notable
- outstanding
- singular

## Antonyms
- ordinary
- general
- common
- usual

## Derived Forms
- especially

## Related Forms
- special
- specially
- species

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: especial
- Root: specialis
- Root: specere

## Etymology
From Old French especial, from Latin specialis 'particular, individual', from species 'kind, sort, appearance', from specere 'to look'.

## AI Etymology
Especial comes from Old French especial, from Latin specialis 'particular, individual', from species 'kind, sort, appearance', from specere 'to look'. The development is chiefly a borrowing or learned continuation, carrying an older form and meaning into English rather than building the word from a purely native base. In present use, it is used as an adjective meaning "special; exceptional in degree or importance", so the historical material remains connected with the current sense rather than standing as bare ancestry. The wider English family includes derivatives such as especially and related forms such as special, specially, and species, showing how the same historical material continues to organize neighboring vocabulary. The named historical forms include Old French especial, Latin specialis, and Latin specere, keeping the history tied to concrete forms rather than a loose resemblance.

## Topics
- Describing Qualities
- Word Formation & Derivatives

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