- past tense form of specialize.
- past participle 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.
One consisted of inflammatory CD8 T cells, while the other was a specialized group of CD4 T cells expressing two markers known as PD-1 and CXCL13.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 20, 2026
In response, Congress established the current system, routing most disputes through the VA and its specialized appellate courts.
From Slate ● Oct. 19, 2026
As the artificial-intelligence trade hit a fresh speed bump last week, the specialized cloud provider’s business model came under scrutiny yet again.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 19, 2026
The gallery, added in 1966, has cultivated a reputation for small exhibitions, often about highly specialized topics, frequently curated by academics, and borrowed directly, of late, from regional Chinese museums.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 17, 2026
The fortifications at Jericho were an enterprise of this kind, requiring sustained and specialized labor over a long period.
From "History of Art, Volume 1" by H.W. Janson
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
