specialized

American  

[spesh-uh-lahyzd] / ˈspɛʃ əˌlaɪzd /

especially British, specialised

adjective

1. invested with a special character or restricted to a special function or field of activity.

   He campaigned for a specialized burn department to be established at the hospital.

   The humanities, once a highly specialized pursuit, have rapidly become a much broader conversation.

2. Biology. (of an organism or organ) adapted to a special function or environment.

   If the coastal sage scrub were to vanish, so would these specialized species of insects that are dependent on it.

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verb

1. the simple past tense and past participle of specialize.

Other Word Forms

• nonspecialized adjective
• overspecialized adjective
• unspecialized adjective

Etymology

Origin of specialized

specialize ( def. ) + -ed ² ( def. )

Example Sentences

Christopher pointed to a buildup of specialized U.S. military forces in the Middle East that could potentially help secure the areas around the strait as part of his team’s thinking.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 7, 2026

Using a specialized measurement technique, the team tracked how certain metals can trigger the clumping of proteins that contributes to blocked communication pathways in the brain, a key feature of Alzheimer's.

From Science Daily • Apr. 7, 2026

There was a contingency plan: Three smaller planes carrying specialized teams later made their way to the remote staging area.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 5, 2026

Then on Friday, it was announced that FanDuel, which is both a betting platform and a sports network specializing in horse racing, is winding down its specialized studio and on-site talent programming this year.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 31, 2026

The others are the specialized skills a job requires, the unpleasantness of a job, and the demand for services that the job fulfills.

From "Freakonomics: A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything" by Steven D. Levitt