specialty
specialty Lexical Profile
specialty Game Scores & Validity
• noun
North American A pursuit, area of study, or skill to which someone has devoted much time and effort and in which they are recognized as an expert.
"Pediatric cardiology is her medical specialty, and she has published dozens of papers on congenital heart defects."
North American A distinctive product, dish, or service for which a person, restaurant, or region is particularly famous.
"Wood-fired clam pizza is a beloved local specialty in New Haven."
A formal legal contract or obligation expressed in a document under seal.
"Under traditional common law, a specialty had a significantly longer statute of limitations than a simple contract."
• adjective
North American Dealing in, providing, or consisting of a specific, high-quality, or niche category of goods or services rather than general merchandise.
"We bought the imported cheese and cured olives at a small specialty grocery store downtown."
Word Nuance & Usage
In American English, "specialty" is the standard spelling for all general senses, whereas British English typically prefers "speciality" except in legal contexts (meaning a contract under seal) and sometimes in medicine.
• Rhymes for specialty
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
Borrowed from Old French "especialte" (meaning particularity or special characteristic), which derives from Late Latin "specialitas", from Latin "specialis" (individual, particular).