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specialist 1 of 2

noun

Definition of specialistnext
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.

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Dissimilar Words

specialist

2 of 2

adjective

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.

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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
Noun
Florida has just 52 certified headache specialists, so for a worker in rural Florida, a diagnosis can mean a lost day’s wages and a long drive. — Brian T. Bailey, The Orlando Sentinel, 6 Sep. 2026 The defense would have benefitted from calling a specialist in postpartum mood disorders to explain how easily psychotic symptoms can be missed in high-functioning new mothers. — Eren Orbey, New Yorker, 4 Sep. 2026
Adjective
Bertrams, who grew up in Australia, served as the specialist punter for Wisconsin last season, averaging more than 41 yards per punt. — Matt Murschel, The Orlando Sentinel, 26 Aug. 2026 The San Francisco Bay Area still leads in raw AI-specialist numbers and has a higher concentration of AI job postings overall (26%, versus 17% in New York). — Sheryl Estrada, Fortune, 24 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for specialist
Recent Examples of Synonyms for specialist
  1. professional
  2. specialized
  3. consultant
  4. expert
  5. master
  6. technical
  7. special
Noun
  • Hurzeler values 36-year-old Steele’s dressing room input, which is even more relevant now after a summer cull of the core group of experienced professionals.
    — Andy Naylor, New York Times, 9 Sep. 2026
  • However, gardening and landscape professionals assured us that brown boxwoods can be saved, as long as the plant itself is still alive.
    — The Spruce, The Spruce, 8 Sep. 2026
Definition of professional
Adjective
  • The journey from raw material to finished product is at the heart of an exhibition marking the 90th anniversary of the house, which has been part of Chanel’s network of specialized workshops since 1997.
    — Joelle Diderich, Footwear News, 17 Sep. 2026
  • Its design also includes specialized work areas needed to support aircraft maintenance and mission preparation.
    — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 17 Sep. 2026
Definition of specialized
Noun
  • The legal services consultant, Colorado attorney Brent Butzin, billed the rail authority $127,000 for travel between September 2024 and September 2025, before switching to a financial advising contract, according to the inspector general report.
    — Lia Russell, Sacbee.com, 16 Sep. 2026
  • That led me to a consultant in Florida with deep connections in the state banking world.
    — Alec Litowitz, Fortune, 15 Sep. 2026
Definition of consultant
Adjective
  • Being an experienced or even expert meditator didn’t necessarily protect people.
    — Olga Khazan, The Atlantic, 4 Sep. 2026
  • Learn when and how to harvest blanket flower seeds, along with expert tips for storing and sowing, to keep the blooms coming without having to make a trip to the garden center next season.
    — Gemma Johnstone, The Spruce, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of expert
Noun
  • A student there named John-Michael Tebelak wrote the book for the show as his master’s thesis, with original songs provided by his friends.
    — Victor Garber, Vulture, 17 Sep. 2026
  • Parker’s Heritage Collection is named after the late master distiller Parker Beam, who joined Heaven Hill in 1960 when his father, Earl Beam, was master distiller there.
    — Jonah Flicker, Robb Report, 16 Sep. 2026
Definition of master
Adjective
  • So does anyone who has become the unofficial technical support department for friends and family.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 18 Sep. 2026
  • His demands can be meticulous and technical — a shorter staccato, a heavier bow, a more robust crescendo.
    — Justin Davidson, Vulture, 18 Sep. 2026
Definition of technical
Adjective
  • His point is that although LLMs, no less than chess engines and other specialist systems, are trained on a specific task—namely, predicting the next word in a text passage—that task is special.
    — George Musser, Scientific American, 17 Sep. 2026
  • Snoop Dogg is set to host the event, and additional performers, presenters and special guests will be revealed over the next week.
    — Steven J. Horowitz, Variety, 16 Sep. 2026
Definition of special

Browse Nearby Words

specialisms
specialist
specialists
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Cite this Entry

“Specialist.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/specialist. Accessed 18 Sep. 2026.

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