specialty

noun, often attributive spe·cial·ty \ ˈspe-shəl-tē \

|Updated on: 12 Jul 2018

Examples: specialty in a Sentence

Definition of specialty

plural specialties

1 : a distinctive mark or quality

2 a : 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

See specialty defined for English-language learners

See specialty defined for kids

Examples of specialty in a Sentence

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

Recent Examples of specialty from the Web

My specialty in pediatrics came from my cranial work.

— daina saleh, Naperville Sun, "Down to Business: View of chiropractic treatment changing as people take control of their own medical decisions," 6 July 2018
Liddell doesn’t pretend to be a wonk, however: his specialty is managing the policy work of others.

— ed kilgore, Daily Intelligencer, "Maybe Republicans Just Don’t Do Policy," 3 July 2018
Pablo will also work closely with Colombian superstar Carlos Vives and Sylvester Dangond in a role that taps into more than 15 years of industry experience with specialties in public relations, marketing and artist and label relations expertise.

— justino aguila, Billboard, "TV Vet Clara Pablo Joins Walter Kolm Entertainment as SVP Marketing," 21 June 2018
Then there was a DBT center here, where that’s their entire specialty.

— katie heaney, The Cut, "My Life With Borderline Personality Disorder," 13 June 2018
With this move, IHOb follows a recent trend of restaurant chains tapping into markets outside of their specialties.

— ben tobin, USA TODAY, "IHOP becomes IHOb, with 'b' for burgers," 11 June 2018
With this move, IHOP follows a recent trend of restaurant chains tapping into markets outside of their specialties.

— caroline blackmon, Detroit Free Press, "IHOP changes to IHOb: The reason why — and if it'll stick," 11 June 2018
With a 1-2 count on Bryce Denton, Duran threw a 93 mph sinker, one of his specialties.

— paul johnson, Elgin Courier-News, "20-something: Hard-throwing Cougars pitcher Jhoan Duran living up to his potential," 10 June 2018
Each country has its own specialties and the diasporas mean numerous restaurants across the host cities.

— james ellingworth, Fox News, "Dining Russian-style at the World Cup," 7 June 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.

Origin and Etymology of specialty

Middle English specialte, from Anglo-French especialté, from Late Latin specialitat-, specialitas, from Latin specialis special

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 15th century

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

specialty Synonyms

Synonyms

area, arena, bailiwick, business, circle, department, discipline, domain, element, fief, fiefdom, field, firmament, front, game, kingdom, line, precinct, province, realm, sphere, terrain, walk;

Related Words

frontier;

study, subject;

territory, turf;

occupation, profession, pursuit, racket, vocation;

ambit, amplitude, breadth, compass, confine, dimension(s), extent, ken, reach, scope, sweep, width;

subfield, subspecialty;

SPECIALTY Defined for English Language Learners

specialty

noun

Definition of specialty for English Language Learners

: 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

SPECIALTY Defined for Kids

specialty

noun spe·cial·ty \ ˈspe-shəl-tē \

Definition of specialty for Students

plural specialties

: something for which a person or place is known

Pancakes are my speciality.

Good service is the restaurant's specialty.

Medical Dictionary

specialty

noun spe·cial·ty \ ˈspesh-əl-tē \

medical Definition of specialty

plural specialties

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

Law Dictionary

specialty

noun spe·cial·ty

legal Definition of specialty

plural specialties

[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