specialist

[ spesh-uh-list ]

noun

1. a person who is devoted to one subject or to one particular branch of a subject or pursuit.
2. a medical practitioner who devotes attention to a particular class of diseases, patients, etc.
3. U.S. Army. an enlisted person of one of four grades having technical or administrative duties, the grades corresponding to those of corporal through sergeant first class but not requiring the exercise of command.
4. Stock Exchange. a member of an exchange who buys and sells a single stock or a particular group of stocks in their own name or for other stockbrokers and thus helps maintain the market in those securities on that exchange.

specialist

/ ˈspɛʃəlɪst /

noun

1. 1. a person who specializes in or devotes himself to a particular area of activity, field of research, etc
   2. ( as modifier )

      specialist knowledge

2. an enlisted rank in the US Army denoting technical qualifications that entitle the holder to a noncommissioned officer's pay
3. ecology an organism that has special nutritional requirements and lives in a restricted habitat that provides these Compare generalist

Derived Forms

• ˌspecialˈistic, adjective

Other Words From

• non·special·ist noun adjective
• pre·special·ist noun
• sub·special·ist noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of specialist¹

First recorded in 1855–60; special + -ist

Example Sentences

The district provided a specialist in training teachers on strategies to help English learners, many of whom attend Jefferson.

From Los Angeles Times

Organisers admit it's not a silver bullet - it's not a freephone number and how quickly individual banks get callers to specialist fraud advisors can vary.

From BBC

"We look forward to continuing our research and exploring the many possibilities offered by this new technique," says Shigeaki Kanatani, a research specialist in Uhlén's laboratory and the first author of the study.

From Science Daily

Medical specialists say drinking as little as 25 millilitres of methanol can be fatal, but it is sometimes added to drinks because it is cheaper than alcohol.

From BBC

Chris Campbell - a tax specialist at Icas, the institute of chartered accountants in Scotland - says its members have been busy this month with approaches for advice.

From BBC

Related Words

• authority
• consultant
• doctor
• guru
• professional
• scholar
• technician