Collins COBUILD Advanced Learner's English Dictionary - special

(specials) Frequency: The word is one of the 700 most common words in English. 1. Someone or something that is special is better or more important than other people or things. You’re very special to me, darling... There are strong arguments for holidays at Easter and Christmas because these are special occasions... My special guest will be comedian Ben Elton. ADJ 2. Special means different from normal. In special cases, a husband can deduct the travel expenses of his wife who accompanies him on a business trip... So you didn’t notice anything special about him?... ? normal ADJ: ADJ n 3. You use special to describe someone who is officially appointed or who has a particular position specially created for them. Frank Deford is a special correspondent for Newsweek magazine. ADJ: ADJ n 4. Special institutions are for people who have serious physical or mental problems. Police are still searching for a convicted rapist, who escaped from Broadmoor special hospital yesterday. ADJ: ADJ n 5. You use special to describe something that relates to one particular person, group, or place. Every anxious person will have his or her own special problems or fears. ...it requires a very special brand of courage to fight dictators. = unique ADJ: ADJ n 6. A special is a product, programme, or meal which is not normally available, or which is made for a particular purpose. ...complaints about the BBC’s Hallowe’en special, ‘Ghostwatch’... Grocery stores have to offer enough specials to bring people into the store. N-COUNT SPECIAL BRANCH The Special Branch is the department of the British police that is concerned with political security and deals with things such as terrorism and visits by foreign leaders. N-PROPER: oft the N