The head of the college, Miss Baker, had a special place in the car park for her small car.
Source: tatoeba (21312)
Special
/ˈspɛʃ.əl/
Synonyms for "special" (271 found)
Ranked by relevance and common usage.
Closest matches (55)
Adjective(6 words)
absoluteamtrakanotherarticlearticle of commercearticle of merchandisebaggage trainbestbizarrebosomcable railroadcardinalcategoricalcelebratedcelebratorycertaincharacteristicchoicechoo choochoo-choo
Noun(1 words)
distinctive feature
Strong matches (81)
Adjective(12 words)
distinctivelydistinguisheddivisionaldivisionarydrugelelectricelectric trainelevatedelseeminentesotericespecialespeciallyesteemedestimableexactexceptionalexclusiveexpress
Show 47 more words
express trainextraextra editionextraordinaryfaithfulfancyfeaturefestivefinickyfixedflierflyerfreightfreight trainfreighterfullfunicularfussygalagazettegoldengoodgoods trainidiosyncraticimportantindividualindividualisticinformalinimitableinnerinterurbanintimateisolateditemlead itemleaderleading cardlightning expresslimitedlocalloss leaderloyalmain featuremajormarkedmemorablemeticulous
Noun(2 words)
extra spanishfeature guest
Related words (135)
metromilk trainminutemomentousmonorailnational newspaperneighborhood newspapernewsnewspapernewspaper of recordnicenoblenot that sortnot the samenot the typenotablenoteworthynoveloccasionalodd
Show 94 more words
of a sortof another sortof markof sortsordinalotherother thanotherwiseout of the ordinaryoutstandingpaperparamountparliamentaryparliamentary trainparticularparticularlypassenger trainpeculiarpersonalpicayunepointedpreciseprestigiousprimaryprimeprivateprivilegedproductprominentproperrack-and-pinion railroadragrailroad trainrarerattlerred-letterremarkablerememberablereputablerespectiverolling stocksalientsecondsselectsetseveralsheetshuttleshuttle trainsignalsignificantsinglesingularsolipsisticspecial editionspecialityspecializedspeciallyspecificspecificallystandard articlestaplestaple itemstaunchsteadfaststrangestreamlinerstrikingsubdivisionalsubwaysui generistabloidtaxonomictellingtraintubetypaltypicaluncommonunconventionalundergroundunforgettableuniqueunorthodoxunparalleledunusualvaluedvendibleverywareway trainweeklyweekly newspaperweird
Noun(8 words)
most unique personone off lessonprivileged personpromotional pricespecial election processstate authority powerstask forceunique opportunity
Choosing the right synonym
- Closest matches in this entry: particular, absolute, amtrak, another, article.
- Sentence evidence is available for special, so synonym choice can be checked against real usage rather than a flat word list.
- Ranking signals come from wordnet, opengloss, moby, derived_reverse, and related lexical sources.
Synonym selection checklist
- Match the part of speech before comparing meanings.
- Check whether the synonym changes intensity, formality, or emotional tone.
- Read the replacement inside the full sentence, not just beside "special".
- Prefer the clearest word over the most unusual word when writing for speed or comprehension.
When not to replace "special"
Keep "special" when the sentence already sounds natural, when a synonym would add unintended emphasis, or when readers need the most familiar wording. A synonym should clarify or sharpen the message, not simply make the sentence look more varied.
If two options seem close, choose the one that best matches the audience and purpose of the sentence.
Replacement workflow
1. Preserve meaning
Choose a synonym only if it keeps the core idea of "special" intact in the sentence you are editing.
2. Tune tone
Check whether the replacement sounds more formal, casual, emotional, technical, or forceful than the original word.
3. Re-read context
Read the full sentence after the swap. Keep the synonym only when the sentence becomes clearer or more precise.
Review note: Synonym lists are ranked with lexical data and reviewed for practical writing value. Use the comparison notes, sentence evidence, and source labels together; a high-ranking synonym can still be wrong when the audience, register, or grammar changes.
Final fit check
After choosing a replacement for "special", read the sentence once for meaning and once for rhythm. The best synonym should feel natural in the full sentence, not only accurate in a word list.
If the synonym makes the sentence slower, vaguer, or more dramatic than intended, keep "special" or choose a simpler alternative from the closest-match group.
Related word relations
OpenGloss and ConceptNet supply richer edges like generalizations, collocations, and derivations.
More general
12 entriesMore specific
10 entriesdistinctive traitexceptionalexclusiveoutstandingspecial assignmentspecial editionspecial eventspecial programspecializedunique case
Collocations
10 entriesspecial classspecial dayspecial editionspecial educationspecial eventspecial interestspecial needsspecial occasionspecial reportspecial task
Inflections
3 entriesDerivations
9 entriessimilar
7 entriesTranslations
5 translations across 4 languages.
Hebrew
1 entries- מיוחד \ מְיֻחָד adj (of or related to disabilities, especially learning or intellectual disabilities)
Hungarian
2 entries- kisegítő adj (of or related to disabilities, especially learning or intellectual disabilities)
- speciális adj (of or related to disabilities, especially learning or intellectual disabilities)
Persian
1 entries- استثنایی adj (of or related to disabilities, especially learning or intellectual disabilities)
Swedish
1 entries- speciell adj (of or related to disabilities, especially learning or intellectual disabilities)
Sample sentences
41 total sentences available.
In case the shipment is delayed, we have special delay insurance.
Source: tatoeba (23689)
Are you doing anything special?
Source: tatoeba (25050)
We can offer you a special 5% discount on STL#3456, provided that you place an order of more than 15 units at one time.
Source: tatoeba (27485)
Showing 4 of 41 available sentences.
Common questions
What are the closest synonyms for "special"?
Closest matches include particular, absolute, amtrak, another, article.
How should I check whether a synonym fits "special"?
Compare the replacement against real sentence context. This entry includes sample sentences so you can check tone, grammar, and meaning before swapping words.