specialized

especially British, spe·cial·ised

[spesh-uh-lahyzd]

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.

verb

1. the simple past tense and past participle of specialize.

Other Word Forms

• nonspecialized adjective
• overspecialized adjective
• unspecialized adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of specialized¹

specialize ( def. ) + -ed ² ( def. )

Example Sentences

Different forms of discrimination would be addressed by a specialized coordinator — one each for antisemitism, religious discrimination, race and ethnicity discrimination, gender discrimination and LGBTQ+ discrimination.

From Los Angeles Times

Unlike countries such as Singapore or Mexico, South Korea doesn’t have a deal with Washington that guarantees work visas for specialized workers.

From Los Angeles Times

Chile, Australia and Singapore have special work visa programs that allow their citizens to work in specialized roles in the U.S.

From Los Angeles Times

This is because mRNA vaccines induce the immune system to make both antibodies and specialized immune cells called T cells.

From Salon

The parents then drove themselves to the campground’s medical facility before being airlifted to a major hospital where the baby could receive specialized intensive care, the Redditor said.

From Los Angeles Times