adv
especially
ih-SPEHSH-lee
adv
1
To a greater degree than usual; particularly.
"The traffic was bad, especially near the stadium."
"She loves reading, especially historical fiction."
How to Use Especially
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishUsed to point out that something applies more strongly to one thing than others.
Common mistake
Often confused with "specially" — "especially" means "particularly" or "above all," while "specially" means "for a specific purpose."
Easily confused with
Word Forms
more especially comparative, most especially superlative
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The traffic was bad, _____ near the stadium.
Etymology
From "especial" plus the adverb suffix -ly — "especial" itself traces back to Latin specialis, "of a particular kind."