specialty

American  

[spesh-uhl-tee] / ˈspɛʃ əl ti /

noun

• specialties
  plural

1. a special or distinctive quality, mark, state, or condition.

2. a special subject of study, line of work, area of interest, or the like.

   His specialty is art criticism.

3. an article or service particularly dealt in, rendered, manufactured, etc., or one to which the provider, dealer, or manufacturer claims to devote special care.

   The manufacturer's specialty is fine hats.

   Synonyms:

   forte, badge, stamp, trademark

4. an article of unusual or superior design or quality.

5. a novelty; a new article.

6. an article with such strong consumer demand that it is at least partially removed from price competition.

7. a special or particular point, item, matter, characteristic, or peculiarity.

8. Law.

   1. a special agreement, contract, etc., expressed in an instrument under seal.

   2. a negotiable instrument not under seal.

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adjective

1. Theater. (in vaudeville)

   1. performing or performed in a manner that is unusual or not customary for a type of act, especially a performance involving dexterity or ingenuity, as a patter song.

      specialty actor; specialty act.

   2. (of a song or dance) isolated from the rest of the show.

      specialty number.

specialty British  

/ ˈspɛʃəltɪ /

noun

1. law a formal contract or obligation expressed in a deed

2. a special interest or skill

3. 1. a service or product specialized in, as at a restaurant

      roast beef was a specialty of the house

   2. ( as modifier )

      a specialty dish

4. a special or distinguishing feature or characteristic

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• specialties
  plural

Etymology

Origin of specialty

First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English specialte, specialite “particular affection, fondness,” from Old French especialte, specialte “special quality, favor, or privilege,” from Latin speciālitāt- (inflectional stem of speciālitās) “particularity, peculiarity”; see special, -ity

Explanation

A specialty is someone's strong suit or area of expertise. A restaurant’s best dish would be its specialty. If you love baking muffins, make that your specialty. Magic Johnson was a great overall basketball player, but his specialty was passing the ball to teammates and getting assists. A specialty is a skill, strength, or asset someone has because of hard work. A doctor can have a specialty such as cardiology. A restaurant will usually have a specialty, which is a unique meal they're known for making. Just like special things have something unique or great about them, specialties are something a person or place does well.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

specialty specialties

Sales in the wholesale segment, meanwhile, increased 19% as the company’s Free People group had higher sales to specialty customers and department stores.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 26, 2026

I couldn’t reach the project neutral, John C. O’Rourke Jr., a Chicago lawyer who has made this practice his specialty.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 20, 2026

With over 1,500 locations, Ulta is one the largest specialty beauty retailers in America.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 17, 2026

At some participating businesses, fans will be able to acquire limited-edition merchandise and Laufey-themed specialty drinks.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 16, 2026

But if I can hold down Greasy Sae's concoction of mice meat, pig entrails, and tree bark -a winter specialty -I'm determined to hang on to this.

From "The Hunger Games" by Suzanne Collins

Daughters needed a cookbook to teach them how to cook the Jewish specialties and the American foods they had learned to love.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 27, 2026

The beloved Minneapolis bakery is famous for its oversized, gooey cinnamon rolls, but there are plenty of other temptations on display, including caramel pecan buns, sticky buns and seasonal specialties.

From Salon ● Jun. 11, 2026

They said the department was committed to creating more training posts across the NHS "with a focus on specialties where there is greatest need".

From BBC ● May 29, 2026

It also served some of the region’s more unique specialties, such as clam cakes from a recipe hand-written by his grandmother found on the back of a fish-shop receipt.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 23, 2026

And even though he was good at ticking, he said spinning and sliding were his specialties back in the day, and that the crowd always went crazy when he did a split.

From "Sunny" by Jason Reynolds

Related Words

• hobby
• major
• masterpiece
• profession
• speciality