English Reference
Verb

specialize

v.
B2 Upper Intermediate Oxford US /ˈspɛʃəˌɫaɪz/ spe·cial·ize UK spelling specialise, specializes, specializing Biology

v.to focus most of your time and effort on one specific subject, skill, or area of work.

v.to concentrate one's efforts or interests on a particular field of study, professional activity, or biological niche. Intransitive — requires a prepositional phrase to specify the area of focus.


SIMPLE

I want to specialize in international law after I graduate.

CONTEXTUAL

Many local bakeries choose to specialize in gluten-free products to meet the growing demand from health-conscious customers.

COMPLEX

While general practitioners provide a broad range of care, many medical students eventually choose to specialize in fields like cardiology or neurology to master more complex procedures.

Usage

The verb is intransitive and almost always takes the preposition 'in' before the subject of focus.

Pitfall
He specializes international lawHe specializes in international law

Specialize is an intransitive verb and requires the preposition 'in' to connect to its object.

But road-trip RPG Ithaca arrives via refreshingly original developer the Pixel Hunt, a French outfit that specialises in what it calls “reality-inspired” games.

The Guardian· 17 Aug 2026

This production by Flabbergast Theatre , which specialises in physical comedy, shows you what a good fit clowning is for Samuel Beckett’s work.

The Guardian· 15 Aug 2026

Common in health writing


From special + -ize.

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

This entry
Level B2 · Upper Intermediate
Frequency Frequent
Updated