What makes special relativity special and general relativity general?

Question

What makes special relativity special and general relativity general?

Answer 1

Special Relativity is a *special case* of general relativity which can only be used when gravity is absent or otherwise in regions that are small compared with the curvature induced by gravity. In order to include gravity, and thus discuss the general case, one must use General Relativity.

Answer 2

Special relativity is special in that it is restricted to the case of constant velocity and/or small gravitational fields. General relativity is generalized in the sense that it covers accelerated systems, or, what is the same thing fundamentally, motion in substantial gravitational field.