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

Psoriasis causes inflammation in the skin that leads to the formation of specialized immune precursor cells.

From Science Daily

In Stibel’s view, AI makes it easier to start a business, driving clients to specialized services that support them.

From The Wall Street Journal

Some of those players could include OpenAI-backer Microsoft, Oracle and SAP—all of which offer their own specialized AI agents designed to automate business processes.

From The Wall Street Journal

Now it is transitioning to bankrolling the specialized equipment that remains a foreign chokepoint.

From The Wall Street Journal

Black history isn’t a specialized field relevant only to some Americans.

From The Wall Street Journal