specialize

[ spesh-uh-lahyz ]

/ ˈspɛʃ əˌlaɪz /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR specialize ON THESAURUS.COM

verb (used without object), spe·cial·ized, spe·cial·iz·ing.

to pursue some special line of study, work, etc.; have a specialty: The doctor specializes in gastroenterology.

Biology. (of an organism or one of its organs) to be adapted to a special function or environment.

verb (used with object), spe·cial·ized, spe·cial·iz·ing.

to render special or specific; invest with a special character, function, etc.

to adapt to special conditions; restrict to specific limits.

to restrict payment of (a negotiable instrument) by endorsing over to a specific payee.

to specify; particularize.

Nearby words

specialist, specialist registrar, specialistic, speciality, specialization, specialize, specialty, speciate, speciation, specie, specie point

Also especially British, spe·cial·ise.

Origin of specialize

From the French word spécialiser, dating back to 1605–15. See special, -ize

Related forms

spe·cial·i·za·tion, nounnon·spe·cial·ized, adjectivenon·spe·cial·iz·ing, adjectiveo·ver·spe·cial·ize, verb, o·ver·spe·cial·ized, o·ver·spe·cial·iz·ing.

pre·spe·cial·ize, verb (used without object), pre·spe·cial·ized, pre·spe·cial·iz·ing.sub·spe·cial·ize, verb, sub·spe·cial·ized, sub·spe·cial·iz·ing.su·per·spe·cial·ize, verb (used without object), su·per·spe·cial·ized, su·per·spe·cial·iz·ing.un·spe·cial·ized, adjectiveun·spe·cial·iz·ing, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for specialized

Diagnosis of CTE is often considered to be specialized and has to occur at a designated institution like Boston University.
Will the NCAA Let Ohio State’s Kosta Karageorge Die in Vain?|Robert Silverman|December 1, 2014|DAILY BEAST
We saw the emergence of fashion designers who specialized in creating abayas.
Saudi Activist Manal Al-Sharif on Why She Removed the Veil|Manal Al Sharif, Advancing Human Rights|October 30, 2014|DAILY BEAST
But putting the specialized troops the Pentagon calls “Joint Terminal Air Controllers,” or JTACs, into combat comes with a cost.
Air Force Pilots Say They're Flying Blind Against ISIS|Dave Majumdar|October 10, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Percy Heath, a merry fellow, specialized in leading the Reverend Professor Doctor astray and had a lot of fun with him.
The Stacks: H.L. Mencken on the 1904 Baltimore Fire|H.L. Mencken|October 4, 2014|DAILY BEAST

I find faculty learning about their specific, specialized research areas, but also about the wider society and natural world.
The Elite American College Pile-On|Michael S. Roth|September 15, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Near the lower end of the trachea, just above the lungs, there is a specialized organ of the bird's throat called the syrinx.
Our Bird Comrades|Leander S. (Leander Sylvester) Keyser
During his lifetime he had specialized in making tall case and banjo clocks.
Early American Scientific Instruments and Their Makers|Silvio A. Bedini
The work in a country bank is different from that in the large city institutions, in that it is by no means as specialized.
The Rise of Roscoe Paine|Joseph C. Lincoln
One characteristic fact clearly shows the fundamental reason which has kept the idea of the mana so specialized in Australia.
The Elementary Forms of the Religious Life|Emile Durkheim
I have no specialized training to offer to a commercial world which calls for experts.
The Kingdom Round the Corner|Coningsby Dawson

British Dictionary definitions for specialized

specialize

specialise

/ (ˈspɛʃəˌlaɪz) /

verb

(intr) to train in or devote oneself to a particular area of study, occupation, or activity

(usually passive) to cause (organisms or their parts) to develop in a way most suited to a particular environment or way of life or (of organisms, etc) to develop in this way

(tr) to modify or make suitable for a special use or purpose

(tr) to mention specifically; specify

(tr) to endorse (a commercial paper) to a specific payee

Derived Forms

specialization or specialisation, noun

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Medicine definitions for specialized

specialize

[ spĕsh′ə-līz′ ]

v.

To limit one's profession to a particular specialty or subject area for study, research, or treatment.

To adapt to a particular function or environment.