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

Given that measles is so transmissible, the presence of measles is symptomatic of an ailing public health immunization structure.

— Sheldon H. Jacobson, Chicago Tribune, 18 Sep. 2026
Johnson’s role in Verity is Lowen Ashleigh, a down-on-her-luck writer who moves into the house of a mysteriously ailing but much more successful novelist, Verity Crawford (Hathaway), to help finish a blockbuster series of thrillers.

— Alessandra Codinha, Vogue, 18 Sep. 2026

Definition of ailing

Adjective

Israeli President Isaac Herzog pardoned a soldier who shot and killed an incapacitated Palestinian attacker in the occupied West Bank in 2016, despite opposition from the military’s chief of staff.

— Oren Liebermann, CNN Money, 20 Sep. 2026
Chinese military aircraft researchers are exploring flight-control systems that could keep future fighters flying if pilots become incapacitated.

— Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 11 Sep. 2026

Definition of incapacitated

Adjective

At the Premier League’s semi-regular meetings between heads of recruitment some have argued that the five-step process is outdated and unfit for purpose.

— Jordan Campbell, New York Times, 14 Sep. 2026
But in Meriwether’s hands, the show became a propulsive exploration of both women’s trauma and the misogynistic criminal justice system that’s unfit to deal with it.

— Joy Press, Vanity Fair, 31 Aug. 2026

Definition of unfit

Adjective

Vouchers allot roughly $10,500 to standard students, $30,000 to disabled students and $2,000 for homeschool students.

— Rachel Royster, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 22 Sep. 2026
Lynn explained that her daughter, who is a disabled veteran, earns roughly $70,000 a year between her VA disability compensation and her Social Security Disability Insurance.

— Luke Chinman, PEOPLE, 18 Sep. 2026

Definition of disabled

Adjective

As the mid-eighties set in and Stevie readied her next solo album, Rock a Little, the singer was visibly unwell.

— Daniel Kreps, Rolling Stone, 14 Sep. 2026
Caring for a baby who had been very unwell and dealing with the exhaustion of new motherhood left her sleep-deprived, but the experience still gave her a new perspective on how much care her mom had poured into her own childhood.

— Ashley Vega, PEOPLE, 14 Sep. 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

Adjective

Khadijah had insisted on nursing their newborn Aziza with her own breast milk, but Latif discovers that only a few pouches remain in the fridge and formula makes his baby sick.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 25 Sep. 2026
As well as being a holy site, Lourdes attracts around 3 million pilgrims a year, including approximately 60,000 sick and disabled pilgrims.

— ABC News, ABC News, 24 Sep. 2026

Definition of sick

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 26 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of special-needs

adjective

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