specialize

American  

[spesh-uh-lahyz] / ˈspɛʃ əˌlaɪz /

especially British, specialise

verb (used without object)

• specializes,
  present (3rd person singular)
• specialized,
  past participle,  past
• specializing
  present participle

1. to pursue some special line of study, work, etc.; have a specialty.

   The doctor specializes in gastroenterology.

2. Biology. (of an organism or one of its organs) to be adapted to a special function or environment.

---

verb (used with object)

• specializes,
  present (3rd person singular)
• specialized,
  past participle,  past
• specializing
  present participle

1. to render special or specific; invest with a special character, function, etc.

2. to adapt to special conditions; restrict to specific limits.

3. to restrict payment of (a negotiable instrument) by endorsing over to a specific payee.

4. to specify; particularize.

specialize British  

/ ˈspɛʃəˌlaɪz /

verb

1. (intr) to train in or devote oneself to a particular area of study, occupation, or activity

2. (usually passive) to cause (organisms or their parts) to develop in a way most suited to a particular environment or way of life or (of organisms, etc) to develop in this way

3. (tr) to modify or make suitable for a special use or purpose

4. (tr) to mention specifically; specify

5. (tr) to endorse (a commercial paper) to a specific payee

---

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• specialization
  noun
• overspecialize
  verb
• subspecialize
  verb
• prespecialize
  verb (used without object)
• superspecialize
  verb (used without object)
• nonspecializing
  adjective
• unspecializing
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Participles

• specializing
  present
• specialized
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• specialize
  simple
• specializes
  simple
• have specialized
  perfect
• has specialized
  perfect
• am specializing
  progressive
• are specializing
  progressive
• is specializing
  progressive
• have been specializing
  perfect progressive
• has been specializing
  perfect progressive

Past

• specialized
  simple
• had specialized
  perfect
• was specializing
  progressive
• were specializing
  progressive
• had been specializing
  perfect progressive

Future

• will specialize
  simple
• will have specialized
  perfect
• will be specializing
  progressive
• will have been specializing
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of specialize

From the French word spécialiser, dating back to 1605–15; see special, -ize

Explanation

To specialize is to narrow down your focus, in your studies or profession, to a specific field. If you love playing the accordion, perhaps you should specialize in polka music. If there’s a subject you think is special, specialize in it! For example, doctors start to specialize in medical school, when they study something specific such as podiatry (feet) or cardiology (hearts). Other professionals also specialize in smaller parts of larger fields, like lawyers who specialize in corporate law, or writers who specialize in TV comedies.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

specialize specializes specialized specializing

“Hopefully it will retain the ability to be that brand, and specialize in some more iconic pieces,” Maguire said.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 1, 2026

Fortunately for him, Viking’s river cruises specialize in sedated.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 29, 2026

Activists that specialize in the Asia-Pacific region such as Dalton Investments, Oasis Management, and Strategic Capital were among the busiest players, Lazard’s data showed.

From Barron's ● Jul. 1, 2026

Next, contact relocation services and expat groups that specialize in your target destination.

From MarketWatch ● Jun. 30, 2026

There was a brief paragraph saying that John Parry had had a successful career in the Royal Marines and had left to specialize in organizing geographical and scientific expeditions, and that was all.

From "The Subtle Knife" by Philip Pullman

That is what PS specializes in: Anyone with a commercial ticket can book its private terminals at major airports in Los Angeles, Miami, Dallas and Atlanta.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 4, 2026

The type of cybersecurity services ServiceNow offers is materially different from the endpoint security that CrowdStrike specializes in or the network-security solutions that Palo Alto Networks sells.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 2, 2026

Zion Research Group, which specializes in accounting and taxes, estimates the latest 100% expensing provision was worth $31.8 billion last year to Microsoft, Amazon, Meta, Alphabet and Oracle combined, relative to the expiring provision.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 31, 2026

Sturgis specializes in these kinds of neurotic eccentrics, but his portrayal didn’t help me identify Ru’s secret appeal or believe in the trauma that we later learned occurred when his car broke down.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 21, 2026

“For instance, while I do think Chuck Norris specializes in the roundhouse kick, I don’t think it’s accurate to say, ‘Chuck Norris’s tears can cure cancer, but unfortunately he has never cried.’

From "Paper Towns" by John Green

Their defining feature is a pair of specialized appendages called chelicerae, located near the front of the body.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 4, 2026

When a female mosquito bites, it uses specialized mouthparts to pierce through the skin of its chosen host and into the blood vessels.

From Slate ● Aug. 4, 2026

Microsoft has steadily scooped up specialized, midsized cyber companies over the past decade, while Google made the largest acquisition in its history by purchasing AI cloud and security platform Wiz earlier this year.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 2, 2026

Sorting out who is entitled to the funds raises questions that can take years to answer, said Stefan Cassella, a former federal prosecutor who specialized in asset forfeiture.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 2, 2026

He specialized in the medical use of microscopes and photography.

From "Ambushed!" by Gail Jarrow

At Havana's Calixto Garcia hospital, where a clinic specializing in stress management has operated for years, doctors say the crisis is increasingly reflected in patient visits.

From Barron's ● Aug. 4, 2026

For years, the big names in electronic bond trading were MarketAxess and Tradeweb, with the former specializing in corporate bonds and the latter better known for Treasurys.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 31, 2026

The next day, that name emerged: California-based Taylor Farms, the third-largest producer of fresh produce in the U.S., specializing in packaged salad kits and fresh-cut vegetables.

From Slate ● Jul. 22, 2026

Therefore, he expects companies specializing in HBM and advanced chip packaging to maintain strong pricing power.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 20, 2026

I told him I was studying hard because I wanted to become either a veterinarian or a geologist specializing in the Miocene period, when the mountains out west were formed.

From "The Glass Castle" by Jeannette Walls

Related Words

• train