specialty

noun, often attributive
spe·​cial·​ty | \ ˈspe-shəl-tē How to pronounce specialty (audio) \
plural specialties

Definition of specialty

1 : a distinctive mark or quality
2a : 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

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Examples of specialty in a Sentence

Buttermilk pie is a Southern specialty. a doctor with a specialty in internal medicine

Recent Examples on the Web

The report also ranks the 50 top-scoring hospitals based on specialty, such as cardiology, cancer, diabetes and neurology. Naseem S. Miller, orlandosentinel.com, "AdventHealth Orlando named top hospital in Florida," 31 July 2019 Hopkins was ranked nationally in 15 specialties, including being ranked No. 1 in geriatrics, neurology & neurgosurgery, and rheumatology, and No. 2 in nephrology and urology. Lillian Reed, baltimoresun.com, "Johns Hopkins Hospital named No. 3 nationally by U.S. News & World Report," 30 July 2019 Ramen Shop and Starline are offering a specialty drink. Jessica Yadegaran, The Mercury News, "Eat at Cala, Dopo, Quince and other SF Bay Area restaurants and money goes to Planned Parenthood," 25 July 2019 Visitors can go horseback riding on the beach with Daufuskie Island Trail Rides, then enjoy the island’s specialty, fresh deviled crab. Selena Barrientos, House Beautiful, "This 1800s Lighthouse Is Rumored to Be Haunted, and You Can Spend the Night There," 25 July 2019 Caribou Coffee is the brew of choice and can be served hot, cold and in a variety of specialty drinks. Stefanie Valentic, cleveland.com, "West Park laundromat and café makes wash-day chore a tasty treat," 16 July 2019 The company has looked to simplify and reduce the number of products include in the store, including tumblers and specialty drinks, based on what customers are buying. Madeline Purdue, USA TODAY, "Starbucks to end newspaper sales in September, including USA Today," 12 July 2019 Admission is free, and food and specialty drinks will be available for purchase from Porrón & Piña and bin228. Camila Vallejo, courant.com, "TheaterWorks’ 6th District Night block party celebrates PRIDE," 11 June 2019 Aldrin, whose specialty was orbital rendezvous, doesn’t like NASA’s idea for a small space station around the moon, called the Gateway, from which to stage lunar landings and, eventually, Mars trips. Washington Post, "Apollo 11 astronauts reunite on 50th anniversary of moonshot," 19 July 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'specialty.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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First Known Use of specialty

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

History and Etymology for specialty

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

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More Definitions for specialty

specialty

noun

English Language Learners Definition of specialty

US
: something that a person or place is known for making or producing very well
: an area of study or business that a person specializes in or has special knowledge of

specialty

noun
spe·​cial·​ty | \ ˈspe-shəl-tē How to pronounce specialty (audio) \
plural specialties

Kids Definition of specialty

: something for which a person or place is known Pancakes are my speciality. Good service is the restaurant's specialty.

specialty

noun
spe·​cial·​ty | \ ˈspesh-əl-tē How to pronounce specialty (audio) \
plural specialties

Medical Definition of specialty

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

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specialty

noun
spe·​cial·​ty
plural specialties

Legal Definition of specialty

1 [ from the special form of the contract ] :