specialty

noun, often attributive

spe·cial·ty | \ ˈspe-shəl-tē

plural specialties

Definition of specialty

1 : a distinctive mark or quality

2a : a special object or class of objects: such as

(1) : a legal agreement embodied in a sealed instrument

(2) : a product of a special kind or of special excellence fried chicken is my specialty

b : the state of being special, distinctive, or peculiar

3 : something in which one specializes

Synonyms Example Sentences Learn More about specialty

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Examples of specialty in a Sentence

Buttermilk pie is a Southern specialty. a doctor with a specialty in internal medicine

Recent Examples on the Web

January would be an opportune time for Vonn to return, since there are three consecutive weekends of speed races, downhill and super-G — which are Vonn’s specialties. — Andrew Dampf, The Seattle Times, "US coach: Vonn plans to return to racing next month," 17 Dec. 2018 The illusion of depth without any actual there there is an Ozark specialty. — Todd Vanderwerff, Vox, "Ozark’s muddy season 2, explained in 11 incomprehensible screenshots," 1 Sep. 2018 Another specialty of the house is on the potable, not edible, side. — Bruce Ingram, chicagotribune.com, "Guide to outdoor dining in Chicago suburbs: The Harp and Fiddle in Park Ridge," 5 July 2018 To use Block, customers fill out a questionnaire on their website and receive a video consult on the specialties of their project. — Sara Rodrigues, House Beautiful, "This Renovation Start-Up Wants To Deliver Your New Bathroom To You," 17 Dec. 2018 The flight attendants are trained to prepare a large variety of different authentic Austrian coffee specialties and serve a variety of the best Austrian pastries with it. — Mark Ellwood, Condé Nast Traveler, "The Traveler 25: A Very Opinionated, Totally Subjective List of Things We Loved About Travel This Year," 14 Dec. 2018 Military media rules allow commandos to be identified only by rank or specialty. — Michael M. Phillips, WSJ, "‘I Think I’ve Been Shot’: Nighttime Raid in Afghanistan Reveals New U.S. Strategy," 5 Dec. 2018 That was also pretty much the motivation of companies like Qualcomm, which jumped on the 3D TV and gaming trends a few years back in an effort to sell more specialty high-powered processors. — Kaitlyn Tiffany, Vox, "Are foldable smartphones the future, whether we like them or not?," 12 Nov. 2018 Some of the other new food specialties include the Churro Donut Sundae, the Dirty Fried Bird and the Taco Dilla, according to Fox 10 Phoenix. — Ryan Gaydos, Fox News, "Arizona Cardinals stadium offering 7-pound 'Gridiron Burger' challenge for fans," 9 Aug. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'specialty.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Dictionary Entries near specialty

special theory of relativity

specialty of the house

Statistics for specialty

Last Updated

11 Jan 2019

Look-up Popularity

Time Traveler for specialty

The first known use of specialty was in the 15th century

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More Definitions for specialty

specialty

noun

English Language Learners Definition of specialty

: something that a person or place is known for making or producing very well

: an area of study or business that a person specializes in or has special knowledge of

See the full definition for specialty in the English Language Learners Dictionary

specialty

noun

spe·cial·ty | \ ˈspe-shəl-tē

plural specialties

Kids Definition of specialty

: something for which a person or place is known Pancakes are my speciality. Good service is the restaurant's specialty.

specialty

noun

spe·cial·ty | \ ˈspesh-əl-tē

plural specialties

Medical Definition of specialty

: something (as a branch of medicine) in which one specializes

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specialty

noun

spe·cial·ty

plural specialties

Legal Definition of specialty

1 [ from the special form of the contract ] : formal contract at contract

2 : a doctrine providing that a person extradited can be prosecuted only for the charges described in the order for extradition

3 : real property (as a parcel of land or especially a structure) that is of such specialized character that no market for it exists and for which value upon condemnation is determined by the cost of reproduction less depreciation —used especially in New York