Word
specialty
Phoneticsspe·cial·ty, stress on the first syllable
/ˈspeɪʃəɫti/
Definitions
01area of expertise
B2 · Upper Intermediate Countable noun American English
n. a subject or skill that you know a lot about or are very good at.
n. a specific field of study, professional expertise, or talent in which one excels.
“The doctor's specialty is heart surgery, so she spends most of her time in the operating room.”
“While the firm handles various legal matters, their primary specialty lies in intellectual property disputes involving international patents.”
02characteristic product
B2 · Upper Intermediate Countable noun Cooking American English
n. a product, often food, that a specific place or restaurant is famous for.
n. a product or service that originates in and is uniquely characteristic of a specific location or establishment.
“Fresh seafood is the specialty of this small coastal town.”
“The chef prepared the house specialty, a slow-roasted duck that has been on the menu since the restaurant opened in 1920.”
Synonyms
03legal contract
C2 · Proficiency Countable noun Law Technical · Formal
n. a formal legal agreement that is signed and has a special seal.
n. a contract or obligation under seal, such as a deed, which is distinguished from a simple contract.
“The lawyer explained that a specialty is a formal document that doesn't always need proof of payment to be valid.”
“Under common law, a specialty is an instrument under seal that creates a binding obligation even in the absence of consideration.”
Synonyms
Usage
Commonly followed by the preposition 'in' when referring to a field of study or 'of' when referring to a specific product.
Pitfall
His speciality is history.
His specialty is history.
While both are correct, 'specialty' is the standard spelling in American English, whereas 'speciality' is the standard in British English.
Real-World Examples
“Solly’s specialties are Tudor England, Renaissance and modern art, and World War II.” “Huaca Pucllana is open to tourists, with a restaurant serving Peruvian specialties like ceviche, stir-fried beef and roasted alpaca meat.” Etymology
From Middle English specialte, Old French specialte, especialte, from Latin specialitas.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Idioms
01. specialty crop
Domain
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.B2 FirstIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.5.5–6.5TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 4.0–4.572–94TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.785–944
- Frequency
- Frequent
- Level
- B2 · Upper Intermediate
- Updated
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englishreference.com/q/specialty