specialty

American  

[spesh-uhl-tee] / ˈspɛʃ əl ti /

noun

plural

specialties

1. a special or distinctive quality, mark, state, or condition.

2. a special subject of study, line of work, area of interest, or the like.

   His specialty is art criticism.

3. an article or service particularly dealt in, rendered, manufactured, etc., or one to which the provider, dealer, or manufacturer claims to devote special care.

   The manufacturer's specialty is fine hats.

   Synonyms:

   forte, badge, stamp, trademark

4. an article of unusual or superior design or quality.

5. a novelty; a new article.

6. an article with such strong consumer demand that it is at least partially removed from price competition.

7. a special or particular point, item, matter, characteristic, or peculiarity.

8. Law.

   1. a special agreement, contract, etc., expressed in an instrument under seal.

   2. a negotiable instrument not under seal.

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adjective

1. Theater. (in vaudeville)

   1. performing or performed in a manner that is unusual or not customary for a type of act, especially a performance involving dexterity or ingenuity, as a patter song.

      specialty actor; specialty act.

   2. (of a song or dance) isolated from the rest of the show.

      specialty number.

specialty British  

/ ˈspɛʃəltɪ /

noun

1. law a formal contract or obligation expressed in a deed

2. a special interest or skill

3. 1. a service or product specialized in, as at a restaurant

      roast beef was a specialty of the house

   2. ( as modifier )

      a specialty dish

4. a special or distinguishing feature or characteristic

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Etymology

Origin of specialty

First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English specialte, specialite “particular affection, fondness,” from Old French especialte, specialte “special quality, favor, or privilege,” from Latin speciālitāt- (inflectional stem of speciālitās) “particularity, peculiarity”; special, -ity

Example Sentences

That helped boost the share of specialty egg sales to 50.5% of total egg sales from 24.4% a year ago.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 1, 2026

Cal-Maine has been growing its specialty eggs and prepared foods businesses, which includes liquid and ready-to-eat egg products.

From Barron's • Apr. 1, 2026

Sales of specialty eggs, which include free-range, pasture-raised and other premium varieties, were down 12%, as lower selling prices were partially offset by higher volumes.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 1, 2026

In December, Trump approved $12 billion in emergency assistance, including $1 billion for the kind of produce, nuts and other specialty crops grown in California.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 29, 2026

Hand-to-hand was his specialty, he said; he’d worked in other areas of basic training but generally found his way back to it.

From "Snow Falling on Cedars: A Novel" by David Guterson

Related Words

• hobby
• major
• masterpiece
• profession
• speciality