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

The team used a specialized version of fMRI that could track both blood oxygen levels and the movement of CSF in and out of the brain.

From Science Daily

These included specialized teeth, changes in the palate and diaphragm that supported more efficient breathing and metabolism, and likely features such as warm-bloodedness and fur.

From Science Daily

The cells showed signs of full maturity, carried a wide variety of immune receptors, and were able to develop into specialized subtypes with distinct immune roles.

From Science Daily

To measure how much stronger the treated material had become, the researchers used a specialized probe inside a scanning electron microscope to test how much force was needed to fracture the electrolyte surface.

From Science Daily

His rapid ascension is proof that in an era of intense load management, increasingly specialized bullpens and near-ubiquitious arm injuries, a massive shift is underway in how voters evaluate pitchers’ candidacies.

From The Wall Street Journal