- past participle of specialize.
- past tense form of specialize.
specialized
Americanadjective
-
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.
-
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.
verb
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of specialized
Explanation
Someone or something specialized has a specific purpose or function. A podiatrist is a specialized doctor. With months of specialized training, a person could learn to walk over hot coals. Good thing that there are doctors specialized in fixing feet. The word specialized comes from special. Something special is important, notable, or unique in some way. A specialized hammer is made for one, specific purpose. A specialized teacher has expertise in a particular subject. NASCAR drivers use specialized cars, and assemble-at-home furniture comes with specialized tools. The opposite of a specialized thing is a general thing, which could be used in many circumstances. Something specialized is tailored to one job.
Vocabulary lists containing specialized
Cell Biology - Middle School
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Cell Biology - High School
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"Principles of Business," Vocabulary from Chapter 5
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Yes, a non-compete is legal if employees are “going to a competitor with specialized skills they gained on the job,” according to the New York Attorney General’s website.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 21, 2026
In a specialized clinic in the city of Oak Hill, the youngest black lung patient was just 30 when he was diagnosed with progressive massive fibrosis, the most severe form of black lung disease.
From Barron's ● Aug. 21, 2026
Hale said the goal going forward is to create specialized models for more specific subpopulations.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 20, 2026
The Sheriff’s Department dispatched a team of specialized crisis negotiators who attempted to negotiate his surrender, but the man refused to exit.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 15, 2026
In April of 1944, I was among some sixty American enlisted men who took a rather specialized pre-invasion training course, directed by British Intelligence, in Devon, England.
From "Nine Stories" by J. D. Salinger
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
