Merriam-Webster Logo
SINCE 1828
Menu
×

special needs

plural noun
|Updated on: 15 Jun 2018

Definition of special needs

: any of various difficulties (such as a physical, emotional, behavioral, or learning disability or impairment) that causes an individual to require additional or specialized services or accommodations (such as in education or recreation)
  • students with special needs
—

special-needs

or special needs adjective
    • special-needs children
    • a special needs teacher

Recent Examples of special needs from the Web

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'special needs.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of special needs

1899

in the meaning defined above

See Words from the same year
NEW! Time Traveler

SPECIAL NEEDS Defined for English Language Learners

special needs

noun

Definition of special needs for English Language Learners

  • : mental, emotional, or physical problems in a child that require a special setting for education

Medical Dictionary

special needs

noun plural

medical Definition of special needs

: the individual requirements (as for education) of a person with a disadvantaged background or a mental, emotional, or physical disability or a high risk of developing one
  • Some urban homeschooled kids, particularly those with special needs, were previously enrolled in school but not served well there.
  • —Linda Perlstein,  Newsweek,  6 Feb. 2012
—

special-needs

adjective
    • special-needs students

Learn More about special needs

  1. See words that rhyme with special needs

Seen and Heard

What made you want to look up special needs? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).

show hide

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

WORD OF THE DAY

voracity

play

the quality or state of being insatiable

Get Word of the Day daily email!

TRENDING NOW

  1. asylum 'protection from arrest and extradition given especially to political refugees'

  2. insubordinate 'disobedient to authority'

  3. promulgate 'to make known by open declaration'

  4. epochal 'momentous or unparalleled'

  5. clemency 'merciful treatment of someone who could be given harsh punishment'

SEE ALL

BROWSE DICTIONARY

special needs

Test Your Vocabulary

Name More Food!

  • red-fruit
  • Name that Fruit!
True or False

Test your knowledge - and maybe learn something along the way.

TAKE THE QUIZ
Word Winder's CrossWinder

Test Your Knowledge - and learn some interesting things along the way.

TAKE THE QUIZ

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Words at Play

Ask the Editors

Word Games