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

When it came to wind-tunnel testing, it couldn’t get its hands on Pirelli’s specialized Formula 1 tires, which are available only to accredited teams.

From The Wall Street Journal

Imaging techniques such as specialized ultrasound or magnetic resonance scans can help, but these tools require equipment that is not always available.

From Science Daily

Using a specialized lighting technique, they were able to detect previously overlooked growth rings.

From Science Daily

Jet fuel markets are also often the first to react to supply disruptions because inventories tend to be smaller as the fuel requires specialized storage.

From Barron's

At GOSH, the study took place at the National Institute of Health and Care Research's Clinical Research Facility, a specialized center dedicated to running experimental clinical trials involving children.

From Science Daily