specially
adv.-
1 for a specific purpose (adv.) B1 Intermediatefor a particular purpose, person, or reason.
for a specific purpose, person, or occasion; often used to describe something custom-made or uniquely arranged.
ExampleThis cake was made specially for your birthday party.
ExampleThe software was specially designed to meet the needs of small businesses that cannot afford expensive enterprise solutions.
Usageoften modifies a past participle like 'designed', 'made', or 'chosen'.
PitfallI like fruit, specially apples.I like fruit, especially apples.Use 'especially' to mean 'particularly' or 'above all'. Use 'specially' for a specific purpose, like 'a cake made specially for you'.
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2 particularly (adv.) B2 Upper Intermediate Informalin a way that is more than usual or very much.
used to mean 'particularly' or 'to a great degree'; while common in speech, this is often considered less formal than 'especially'.
ExampleIt is not specially cold today, but you should still wear a coat.
ExampleThe manager was not specially impressed by the candidate's portfolio, noting a lack of original concepts despite the technical proficiency shown.
Usagefrequently used interchangeably with 'especially' in casual spoken English.
From Middle English specialli, specially, equivalent to special + -ly.
- Nounspecialist
- Nounspeciality
- Nounspecialty
- Adjectivespecial
- Adverbspecially