- past tense form of specialize.
- past participle of specialize.
specialized
Americanadjective
-
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.
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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
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of specialized
Explanation
Someone or something specialized has a specific purpose or function. A podiatrist is a specialized doctor. With months of specialized training, a person could learn to walk over hot coals. Good thing that there are doctors specialized in fixing feet. The word specialized comes from special. Something special is important, notable, or unique in some way. A specialized hammer is made for one, specific purpose. A specialized teacher has expertise in a particular subject. NASCAR drivers use specialized cars, and assemble-at-home furniture comes with specialized tools. The opposite of a specialized thing is a general thing, which could be used in many circumstances. Something specialized is tailored to one job.
Vocabulary lists containing specialized
Cell Biology - Middle School
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Cell Biology - High School
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"Principles of Business," Vocabulary from Chapter 5
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Instead of passing light through costly, specialized glass that gets damaged, the design relies on excimer lasers that use a gas mixture.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 10, 2026
Life specialized in photo essays in which the pictures did not illustrate the story but told it, and this was Smith’s forte.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 10, 2026
After talks with President Abelardo de la Espriella in the Caribbean city of Barranquilla, Rubio told reporters an energetic discussion was underway aimed at supplying Colombia with military equipment, specialized training and intelligence.
From Barron's ● Sep. 9, 2026
After that, she’ll spend five weeks recovering with a specialized medical foster volunteer before moving to a long-term foster.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 8, 2026
They did charity work for the Aheona Shelter, a group that specialized in feeding and caring for poor and at-risk children.
From "Shelter (Book One): A Mickey Bolitar Novel" by Harlan Coben
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
