specialty

noun

spe·​cial·​ty ˈspe-shəl-tē 

plural specialties

often attributive

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

Synonyms

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

Examples of specialty in a Sentence

Buttermilk pie is a Southern specialty.

a doctor with a specialty in dermatology

Recent Examples on the Web

Celtic Cask is a specialty Irish whiskey bottler associated with the Celtic Whiskey Shop in Dublin. —Joseph V Micallef, Forbes, 2 Nov. 2024

New specialty units for the 2024 Macy's Parade include Strikes Again by Go Bowling!; The Garriage by Nickelodeon, a whimsical carriage modeled after SpongeBob's pet snail; and the Grannies Car from BBC Studios' Bluey. —Lauren Huff, EW.com, 2 Nov. 2024

New specialty units for the 2024 Macy’s Parade include Strikes Again by Go Bowling! —Denise Petski, Deadline, 1 Nov. 2024

There are obvious stores, like Amazon, Target, Walmart, and Best Buy, but chances are every retailer and brand will have some sort of sale, spanning deals on clothing, shoes, books, electric scooters, tech, health and beauty items, or fitness specialty goods to name just a few categories. —Louryn Strampe, WIRED, 1 Nov. 2024

Word History

Etymology

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

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing specialty

• house specialty
• specialty of the house
• specialty shop
• sub-specialty

Kids Definition

specialty

noun

spe·​cial·​ty ˈspesh-əl-tē 

plural specialties

1

: a product of a special kind or of special excellence

eggs were the cook's specialty

2

: something a person specializes in or has special knowledge of

Medical Definition

specialty

noun

spe·​cial·​ty ˈspesh-əl-tē 

plural specialties

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

Legal Definition

specialty

noun

spe·​cial·​ty

plural specialties

1

[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