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

Using this system, the scientists showed that the thalamus plays a central role in shaping specialized neural circuits within the human cerebral cortex.

From Science Daily

Environmental Control A specialized chamber allows researchers to precisely adjust light, temperature, humidity and carbon dioxide to simulate real-world growing conditions.

From Science Daily

These days he owns his own tools, like specialized torque wrenches—required by Ford—that cost up to $800 apiece.

From The Wall Street Journal

The department also said it had elevated the case to a specialized division that was conducting an investigation.

From Los Angeles Times

The recommendations are based on each company’s ability to provide specialized AI capabilities to their customers.

From Barron's