specialist

noun

spe·​cial·​ist ˈspe-sh(ə-)list How to pronounce specialist (audio)
1
: one who specializes in a particular occupation, practice, or field of study
a specialist in disorders of the immune system
a specialist in international law
"What does Dr. James Mortimer, the man of science, ask of Sherlock Holmes, the specialist in crime?"Arthur Conan Doyle
2
: an enlisted rank in the U.S. Army corresponding to the grade of corporal
also : any of several former enlisted ranks corresponding to the grades of sergeant through sergeant major
3
: an organism (such as a bird) specialized especially in food or habitat
specialist adjective
or specialistic

Examples of specialist in a Sentence

She consulted a marketing specialist when she decided to go into business. He saw a specialist for his foot problem.
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, librarians and library media specialist occupations are projected to grow by only 3% between 2020 and 2030. Sydney Gore, Architectural Digest, 13 Dec. 2024 Shick was a singles specialist in April, and probably still is a singles specialist now. Todd Boss, Forbes, 13 Dec. 2024 Sotheby’s has eliminated one hundred staff members from its New York headquarters, focusing on back-office employees, junior staffers, and top-level specialists across a variety of departments. News Desk, Artforum, 12 Dec. 2024 With design teams in eight locations like London, Australia and India and product development specialist teams in every production country such as Mexico, Pakistan and the U.S., among others, the company harvests data from runways, e-commerce websites and social media. Andrea Onate, WWD, 11 Dec. 2024 See all Example Sentences for specialist 

Word History

First Known Use

1836, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of specialist was in 1836

Dictionary Entries Near specialist

Cite this Entry

“Specialist.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/specialist. Accessed 21 Dec. 2024.

Kids Definition

specialist

noun
spe·​cial·​ist ˈspesh-(ə-)ləst How to pronounce specialist (audio)
1
: a person who studies or works at a special occupation or branch of learning
an eye specialist
2
: an enlisted person in the army with a rank similar to that of corporal
specialist adjective
or specialistic

Medical Definition

specialist

noun
spe·​cial·​ist ˈspesh-(ə-)ləst How to pronounce specialist (audio)
: a medical practitioner whose practice is limited to a particular class of patients (as children) or of diseases (as skin diseases) or of technique (as surgery)
especially : a physician who is qualified by advanced training and certification by a specialty examining board to so limit his or her practice
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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