Unique vs Special - What's the difference?
unique | special |
(not comparable) Being the only one of its kind; unequaled, unparalleled or unmatched.
*
*
* {{quote-book, year=1963, author=(Margery Allingham)
, title=(The China Governess)
, chapter=3 *
*
Of a feature, such that only one holder has it.
Particular, characteristic.
* '>citation
(proscribed) Of a rare quality, unusual.
* {{quote-book, passage=And as I look back, it seems to me that we were fairly unique , the sixty of us, in that there wasn’t one good mixer in the bunch.
, title=For Esmé—With Love and Squalor
, author=J.D. Salinger
, year=1950}}
A thing without a like; something unequalled or unparallelled.
* De Quincey
Distinguished by a unique or unusual quality.
Of particular interest or value; certain; dear; beloved; favored.
(euphemistic, derogatory) Retarded; mentally handicapped
Constituting or relating to a species.
Chief in excellence.
* Shakespeare
A reduction in consumer cost (usually for a limited time) for items or services rendered.
(broadcasting) Unusual or exceptional episode of a series
(British, colloquial) A special constable.
Anything that is not according to normal practice, plan, or schedule, as an unscheduled run of transportation that is normally scheduled.
(video games) special move
* 1995 , "Tony Pordon", Tekken Review [PSX]'' (on newsgroup ''rec.games.video.misc )
As adjectives the difference between special and unique
is that special is distinguished by a unique or unusual quality while unique is being the only one of its kind; unequaled, unparalleled or unmatched.As nouns the difference between special and unique
is that special is a reduction in consumer cost (usually for a limited time) for items or services rendered while unique is a thing without a like; something unequalled or unparallelled.unique
English
Adjective
(en adjective)citation, passage=‘[…] There's every Staffordshire crime-piece ever made in this cabinet, and that's unique . The Van Hoyer Museum in New York hasn't that very rare second version of Maria Marten's Red Barn over there, nor the little Frederick George Manning—he was the criminal Dickens saw hanged on the roof of the gaol in Horsemonger Lane, by the way—’}}
Usage notes
The comparative and superlative forms more unique'' and ''most unique'', as well as the use of ''unique'' with modifiers as in ''fairly unique'' and ''very unique , are sometimes proscribed, with the reasoning that either something is unique or it is not.Synonyms
(checksyns) * one of a kind * sui generis * singularDerived terms
* uniquenessNoun
(en noun)- The phoenix, the unique of birds.
special
English
Adjective
(en adjective)- a special episode of a television series
- Everyone is special to someone.
- He goes to a special school.
- The seven dark spots is a special property unique to ''Coccinella septempunctata''.
- The king hath drawn / The special head of all the land together.
Derived terms
* special attack * special constable * special defense * special delivery * special education / special ed * special forces * specialisation / specialization * specialise / specialize * specialist * speciality, specialty * specially * specialness * Special Olympics * special opsNoun
(en noun)- We're running a special on turkey for Thanksgiving.
- Thousands came to see the special that carried the President's coffin.
- Using the right moves, you can sometimes chain 2 specials in a row to form multiple hit combos.