especiallyes‧pe‧cial‧ly /ɪˈspeʃəli/ ●●● S1 W1 adverb 
I never liked long walks, especially in winter. Art books are expensive to produce, especially if they contain colour illustrations.2[+adjective/adverb] to a particularly high degree or much more than usual SYN particularly: I was especially fond of chocolate biscuits. Feedback is especially important in learning skills. A depreciation of the dollar would make US exports cheaper and especially so in Japan. Graphics are especially well handled in the book.3for a particular person, purpose etcespecially for She bought a new pair of trainers especially for the trip.4not especially not very, or not very much: Accidents aren’t especially common, but you never know. He didn’t especially want to learn to dance.GRAMMAR: Word order• Especially is not used at the start of a sentence before the subject.• You say: · I like Thai food especially.· I especially like Thai food. ✗Don’t say: Especially I like Thai food.• You say:· Young people especially are being affected by the economic crisis. ✗Don’t say: Especially young people are being affected.THESAURUSespecially/particularly used when you want to emphasize that something concerns or affects one person or thing more than others, or is true about a particular situation more than others: · This disease mostly affects women, particularly older women.· Paris is always full of tourists, especially in the summer.· It’s not easy to receive compliments, especially if you’re not used to them.· The surface is very slippery, particularly when it has been raining.specially spoken especially: · I like parks, specially when they’ve got lakes.· You have to be careful what you say, specially if there are children listening.in particular especially – used before or after a noun. Often used in the phrases anyone/anything/anywhere in particular and someone/something/somewhere in particular: · Mary loves most classical music, in particular Bach and Vivaldi.· Kids in particular will love this show.· Is there anything in particular you would like to eat?· Was there someone in particular you were hoping to meet?notably formal used for saying someone or something is an important example of what you are talking about: · The use of illegal drugs – notably marijuana – has increased in recent years.· A number of respected philosophers, most notably Leibniz, criticized Newton’s theories.above all used for emphasizing that something is more important than all the other things you have mentioned: · Get plenty of sleep, eat lots of good food, and above all try to relax.most of all more than anything or anyone else: · Swimming and soccer are fun, but I like dancing most of all.· Out of everybody at school she was the person who helped me most of all.
EXAMPLES FROM OTHER DICTIONARIES
- Drive carefully, especially with all this fog.
- Everyone's excited about the trip, especially Wendy.
- Families, especially those with young children, benefit from the program.
- I'm especially interested in hearing about your trip to China.
- Alliances, after all, have to be directed against some one, especially defensive ones.
- He was 24, a young age for a priest, especially one who had failed to finish training in two seminaries.
- It is also known that, in some central nervous system neurones, second messengers especially cyclic AMPcontrol membrane electrical activity.
- Look especially for the frieze of statues on the upper tier.
- Politicians, unlike actors and especially writers, know that their opinions have to be sold, that they must please.
- The graveyard especially is a good place to examine the strange and beautiful gravestones characteristic of old Basque burial grounds.
- This is a style of wheat beer that I especially enjoy, with its teasing counterpoint of tartness and chocolate-malt sweetness.
THESAURUS
used when you want to emphasize that something concerns or affects one person or thing more than others, or is true about a particular situation more than others: · This disease mostly affects women, particularly older women.· Paris is always full of tourists, especially in the summer.· It’s not easy to receive compliments, especially if you’re not used to them.· The surface is very slippery, particularly when it has been raining.
spoken especially: · I like parks, specially when they’ve got lakes.· You have to be careful what you say, specially if there are children listening.
especially – used before or after a noun. Often used in the phrases anyone/anything/anywhere in particular and someone/something/somewhere in particular: · Mary loves most classical music, in particular Bach and Vivaldi.· Kids in particular will love this show.· Is there anything in particular you would like to eat?· Was there someone in particular you were hoping to meet?
formal used for saying someone or something is an important example of what you are talking about: · The use of illegal drugs – notably marijuana – has increased in recent years.· A number of respected philosophers, most notably Leibniz, criticized Newton’s theories.
used for emphasizing that something is more important than all the other things you have mentioned: · Get plenty of sleep, eat lots of good food, and above all try to relax.
more than anything or anyone else: · Swimming and soccer are fun, but I like dancing most of all.· Out of everybody at school she was the person who helped me most of all.
Longman Language Activatorunable to escape use this to emphasize that something is more important or happens more with one particular thing than any others: · This disease mostly affects women, particularly women over 50.· Paris is always full of tourists, especially during the summer months.especially/particularly if/when: · Allow plenty of time for your visa to be processed, especially if you are applying by mail.especially/particularly good/important/difficult etc: · This is a particularly good example of the problem we've been discussing.
spoken especially - used in conversation: · I bought it specially for you.· We specially wanted to see the Eiffel Tower and Montmartre.specially if/when: · You really need a car - specially when you live a long way from the nearest town.
use in particular to mention one person or thing that is more important or more interesting than all similar things: · Mary loves most classical music, in particular Bach and Vivaldi.· Kids in particular will love the rides and shows.anything/anyone/anywhere etc in particular: · Was there anything in particular that you wanted to talk about?
use above all to emphasize that something is more important than all the other things you have mentioned: · Get plenty of sleep, eat lots of good food, and above all try to relax.· John felt sad, embarrassed, but above all angry that Anna could treat him like this.
more than anything or anyone else: · Swimming and soccer are fun, but I like dancing most of all.· He was friendly and intelligent, but most of all he was a good worker.· Out of everybody at school she was the person who helped me most of all.
especially not: · She told no one, least of all her husband, what she planned to do.· Nobody wants to stop you from following the career of your choice, least of all me.
formal use this to say that someone or something is an important example of what you are talking about: · The use of illegal drugs - notably marijuana - has increased in recent years.most notably: · A number of respected philosophers, most notably Leibniz, criticized Newton's theories.
spoken more than anyone else - use this when someone has said or done something you think is very surprising or unlikely for them to do or say: · You of all people shouldn't be calling him worthless.· Why is Jennifer Stern, of all people, so important?
more than any other person: · You more than anyone should know how difficult it is to raise a child alone.· Freud, more than anyone, was responsible for the establishment of psychology as a science.
if you give special or particular care, attention, or interest to something, you give it more attention than usual or more attention than you give anything else: special/particular care/attention/interest: · You should pay particular attention to spelling.· Special care must be taken to reward children appropriately for good behavior.
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE ENTRY A depreciation of the dollar would make US exports cheaper and especially so in Japan.COLLOCATIONS FROM OTHER ENTRIES
A depreciation of the dollar would make US exports cheaper and especially so in Japan.· The resort is particularly suitable for families.
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE CORPUSADJECTIVE· This is especially important in a home with young children.· Most claimed that staffing and training were especially important managerial responsibilities in building an efficient organization.· In tropical and subtropical areas, Oe. columbianum and Oe. radiatum, in sheep and cattle respectively, are especially important.· This is especially important for work-inhibited children, who are typically overly dependent upon the support of others to complete school assignments.· Being fit and healthy is especially important if you have to fight your way out of trouble or run for home.· Each time you mention a new or especially important point, to support your statements and create continuity.· Written sources were especially important for the economic sector.· Such coalitions are especially important in legislatures where no single party commands a majority.
· This is especially true of open reservoirs, less so on established pits or lakes where bankside vegetation restricts movement.· This is especially true in acquisition or merger situations, where there are no shared corporate values.· This is especially true for those growing up at the time, like my own children.· But I find it especially true now.· This is especially true if a small area only has been tessellated.· This is especially true of original and futuristic ideas.· This is especially true where dust and grime collects and in heavy tread areas like the hall, stairs and landing.· This is especially true when you need to discuss a conflict involving a colleague or family member.
PHRASES FROM THE ENTRY
1[sentence adverb] used to emphasize that something is more important or happens more with one particular thing than with others SYN particularly: - Among the existing pseudo-entities, ghosts and unicorns are not especially dangerous.
- But regarding 2 this teacher was not especially charismatic - in fact more self-effacing than naturally the centre of attention.
- He is not especially comfortable on the reward dimension, at least at the higher levels.
- He is not especially fond of killing animals but, as a countryman, he sees culling deer as a necessity.
- Not especially gracious, but squat and workmanlike, plodding with tenacity from port to port.
- Once again, they were not especially oriented to meeting strategic corporate needs.
- The housewives in question found that they were not especially fulfilled.
- The Leonids and Andromedids are not especially noted for their displays of very brilliant fireballs, but some other streams are.
I never liked long walks, especially in winter. Art books are expensive to produce, especially if they contain colour illustrations.2[+adjective/adverb] to a particularly high degree or much more than usual SYN particularly: I was especially fond of chocolate biscuits. Feedback is especially important in learning skills. A depreciation of the dollar would make US exports cheaper and especially so in Japan. Graphics are especially well handled in the book.3for a particular person, purpose etcespecially for She bought a new pair of trainers especially for the trip.4not especially not very, or not very much: Accidents aren’t especially common, but you never know. He didn’t especially want to learn to dance.GRAMMAR: Word order• Especially is not used at the start of a sentence before the subject.• You say: · I like Thai food especially.· I especially like Thai food. ✗Don’t say: Especially I like Thai food.• You say:· Young people especially are being affected by the economic crisis. ✗Don’t say: Especially young people are being affected.THESAURUSespecially/particularly used when you want to emphasize that something concerns or affects one person or thing more than others, or is true about a particular situation more than others: · This disease mostly affects women, particularly older women.· Paris is always full of tourists, especially in the summer.· It’s not easy to receive compliments, especially if you’re not used to them.· The surface is very slippery, particularly when it has been raining.specially spoken especially: · I like parks, specially when they’ve got lakes.· You have to be careful what you say, specially if there are children listening.in particular especially – used before or after a noun. Often used in the phrases anyone/anything/anywhere in particular and someone/something/somewhere in particular: · Mary loves most classical music, in particular Bach and Vivaldi.· Kids in particular will love this show.· Is there anything in particular you would like to eat?· Was there someone in particular you were hoping to meet?notably formal used for saying someone or something is an important example of what you are talking about: · The use of illegal drugs – notably marijuana – has increased in recent years.· A number of respected philosophers, most notably Leibniz, criticized Newton’s theories.above all used for emphasizing that something is more important than all the other things you have mentioned: · Get plenty of sleep, eat lots of good food, and above all try to relax.most of all more than anything or anyone else: · Swimming and soccer are fun, but I like dancing most of all.· Out of everybody at school she was the person who helped me most of all.