SPECIAL-NEEDS Synonyms: 34 Similar and Opposite Words

special-needs

adjective

Definition of special-needs

as in disabled

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of special-needs Roell was later accused of abusing nonverbal special-needs students at Crosby Elementary School, authorities said. — Shambhavi Rimal, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 19 Aug. 2026 The couple had a son, Colin, and founded The Denver Foundation to help special-needs children after Colin was diagnosed with severe autism. — Sophie Clausen, PEOPLE, 6 Aug. 2026 Those organizations then help students access educational opportunities ranging from tutoring and special-needs services to career training, educational technology, dual-enrollment courses and private school tuition where appropriate. — Jeffrey S. Trimbath, Baltimore Sun, 28 June 2026 Reliability becomes even more critical in special-needs transportation environments, where coordination, communication, and timing often carry heightened importance for students, caregivers, and school systems. — Malana Vantyler, USA Today, 2 June 2026 The great thing about Coverdell accounts is that they can be used before college for expenses like private school, tutoring, uniforms, and even special-needs services. — Sarah Scott, Parents, 2 June 2026 One minute, my paintings were going to HSS; the next, to foster homes — no, schools for special-needs kids. — Blake Crisses, Rolling Stone, 17 May 2026 Alejandro was non-verbal and had attended Greater Heights Academy, a West Kendall school for special-needs children. — Grethel Aguila, Miami Herald, 12 May 2026 From there, families often consider tools like a special-needs trust. — Bruce Helmer, Twin Cities, 25 Apr. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for special-needs

Adjective

Expanding worker retraining programs, investing in the ailing public school system, and improving access to community colleges will do far more than tariffs to rebuild the middle class—and are the first steps in forging a new social contract.

— Charles Kupchan, Foreign Affairs, 19 Oct. 2026
As an 'artificial friend' purchased for an ailing teen, Jenna Ortega tries hard to illuminate this misbegotten Kazuo Ishiguro adaptation, but Waititi's decision to play it for strained, whimsical comedy is ruinous.

— Guy Lodge, Variety, 17 Oct. 2026

Definition of ailing

Adjective

Talking about wills, medical wishes, funeral arrangements or who will handle the finances if a parent becomes incapacitated can feel intrusive, particularly when a parent is still healthy and independent.

— Angelica Leicht, CBS News, 20 Oct. 2026
What happens if a Pope becomes sick, incapacitated, or is hospitalized?

— Tiago Ventura, Time, 14 Oct. 2026

Definition of incapacitated

Adjective

That’ll be particularly important after Paxton defeated Cornyn in a brutal primary where Senate Republicans and other Cornyn allies spent more than $90 million in his defense and attacked Paxton as unfit for office.

— Matthew Choi, Washington Post, 18 Oct. 2026
Separately, the Independent Football Regulator has the powers to force club owners to sell and can withhold a license to operate if they are deemed unfit.

— ABC News, ABC News, 13 Oct. 2026

Definition of unfit

Adjective

The vehicle caught on fire in front of a local orphanage for disabled children.

— Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 20 Oct. 2026
Singletary has used her own life experiences including raising her kids, helping take care of her disabled brother and planning her estate to help her readers navigate their financial journeys.

— Kamaron McNair, CNBC, 16 Oct. 2026

Definition of disabled

Adjective

Alex Karalius, who lives in Salford near Manchester, was taking his two dachshunds for a walk on June 23, 2026, when he was suddenly fell unwell.

— Adam England, PEOPLE, 13 Oct. 2026
Get Ready with Me Colorado Vicky, the deeply mentally unwell and obscure influencer who somehow made her way onto the algorithm of a middle school girl, is another classic role in Johnson’s wheelhouse.

— Ben Rosenstock, Vulture, 4 Oct. 2026

Definition of unwell

Adjective

Someone who is paraplegic has very different needs than someone who is an ambulatory wheelchair user versus someone who lives in chronic pain.

— Kate Erbland, IndieWire, 10 Sep. 2026
On the island, the team makes the acquaintance of Rex (Hayden Chamberlain), a paraplegic dog who has been stranded there for two years and in that time has befriended the dinosaurs and constructed an elaborate treehouse for himself.

— Caspar Salmon, Variety, 7 Aug. 2026

Definition of paraplegic

Browse Nearby Words

specially

special-needs

specialness

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“Special-needs.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/special-needs. Accessed 28 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of special-needs

adjective

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