specialist

American  

[spesh-uh-list] / ˈspɛʃ ə lɪst /

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.

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specialist British  

/ 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

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Other Word Forms

• nonspecialist noun
• prespecialist noun
• specialistic adjective
• subspecialist noun

Etymology

Origin of specialist

First recorded in 1855–60; special + -ist

Example Sentences

The committee is also calling for harsher sentences for those breaking laws on political finance, tougher checks on the source of donors' wealth and a specialist police unit focused on foreign interference.

From BBC

Only one of them was published in the composer’s lifetime, and the vast majority were known only to specialists until the 1960s.

From The Wall Street Journal

But physically getting to a specialist or a well-equipped clinic can be difficult for many patients, thanks to its size, its formidable geography of ice, fjords and mountains and the remoteness of small settlements.

From The Wall Street Journal

Det Con Tom Campbell of Hertfordshire Police said it had been "a protracted and complex investigation" requiring "significant specialist resources".

From BBC

Afghanistan's decision to overhaul its medicine market was meant to improve quality and domestic production, but industry specialists say the swift changes have led to a litany of problems.

From Barron's

Related Words

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