as in professional
a person who has a lot of training, knowledge, or skill in a particular area
She was a specialist in chemical engineering with many years of experience.
Related Words
Relevance
Dissimilar Words
variants
or specialistic
as in specialized
involving, related to, or being special skills or knowledge needed to do a particular job
The job requires specialist knowledge.
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of specialist
Karie Angell Luc, Chicago Tribune, 28 Apr. 2026
Also flying are Scott Poteet, given the title of mission pilot, specialist Sarah Gillis, and specialist and medical officer Anna Menon.
—Richard Tribou, The Orlando Sentinel, 28 Apr. 2026
Gerald Imray, Chicago Tribune, 3 May 2026
Public affairs pieces often feature specialist reporters who are asked to include their analysis of a story as well as context and background.
—Encyclopedia Britannica, 1 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for specialist
Noun
Junior is owned by Victor Walter, who works for Highland Park as its multimedia specialist.
—Karie Angell Luc, Chicago Tribune, 28 Apr. 2026
Also flying are Scott Poteet, given the title of mission pilot, specialist Sarah Gillis, and specialist and medical officer Anna Menon.
—Richard Tribou, The Orlando Sentinel, 28 Apr. 2026
Adjective
Several online tour operators said the Hondius, which is described as a specialist polar cruise ship, usually travels with around 70 crew members.
—Gerald Imray, Chicago Tribune, 3 May 2026
Public affairs pieces often feature specialist reporters who are asked to include their analysis of a story as well as context and background.
—Encyclopedia Britannica, 1 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for specialist
Recent Examples of Synonyms for specialist
Noun
-
Join us for our third CNBC Pro LIVE, where investors of all backgrounds - from financial professionals to everyday individuals - come together to cut through the noise and gain actionable strategies for smarter, more disciplined investing.—
Davis Giangiulio,
CNBC,
8 May 2026
-
That suggests something about who the store is hoping to draw — professionals, families, people who see tech as part of a bigger lifestyle system.—
Roxana Popescu,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
8 May 2026
Adjective
-
The 17 Americans aboard the MV Hondius are expected to be flown to the United States and monitored at the National Quarantine Unit at the University of Nebraska Medical Center, a specialized facility for highly hazardous communicable diseases.—
Kayla Hayempour,
NBC news,
10 May 2026
-
However, there are some more longer-lasting specialized options out there that can last up to 12 weeks and even up to 8 months.—
Jessie Quinn,
USA Today,
10 May 2026
Noun
-
But people who buy the off-brand Noguchi will quickly find the rice paper isn’t as warm, Pietrantoni, the lighting consultant, tells me.—
Adriane Quinlan,
Curbed,
28 Apr. 2026
-
Over months of reporting, Marcus spoke with dozens of clemency recipients, lawyers, historians, and the consultants offering clients their pardon expertise.—
David Remnick,
New Yorker,
28 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
For full daily and monthly horoscopes as well as expert readings, see our full Horoscopes experience.—
USA TODAY,
USA Today,
28 Apr. 2026
-
Judge Liman did not immediately rule on whether the expert testimony on the topics would be permitted.—
Cheyenne Roundtree,
Rolling Stone,
28 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
This new iteration was partly handled by Room40 label boss Lawrence English, who reconstructed the original master tapes and blended them with recent performances by Lockwood and Vanessa Tomlinson, who plays the gong.—
Joshua Minsoo Kim,
Pitchfork,
28 Apr. 2026
-
Leaders of the gardens have been undergoing a master planning effort for more than a year in an effort to accommodate visitation of the botanical garden doubling to more than 300,000 people annually over the past decade.—
Ryan Gillespie,
The Orlando Sentinel,
28 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
All that matters at this reservation-only pizzeria is the crust, a technical marvel of puff, bulge and scorch.—
Ligaya Mishan,
New York Times,
11 May 2026
-
My father’s clients were loyal and had become close friends over the years, but my mother knew little about the technical side of accounting or tax preparation.—
Voice of the People,
New York Daily News,
10 May 2026
Adjective
-
The evening was a huge step forward for the Wild special teams, which struggled in a pair of losses in Denver.—
Jess Myers,
Twin Cities,
10 May 2026
-
Many families experience a disconnect between generations around travel and making special times, especially as families spread farther apart geographically.—
R. Eric Thomas,
Chicago Tribune,
10 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Specialist.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/specialist. Accessed 11 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
