specialist

American  

[spesh-uh-list] / ˈspɛʃ ə lɪst /

noun

1. a person who is devoted to one subject or to one particular branch of a subject or pursuit.

2. a medical practitioner who devotes attention to a particular class of diseases, patients, etc.

3. U.S. Army. an enlisted person of one of four grades having technical or administrative duties, the grades corresponding to those of corporal through sergeant first class but not requiring the exercise of command.

4. Stock Exchange. a member of an exchange who buys and sells a single stock or a particular group of stocks in their own name or for other stockbrokers and thus helps maintain the market in those securities on that exchange.

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specialist British  

/ ˈspɛʃəlɪst /

noun

1. 1. a person who specializes in or devotes himself to a particular area of activity, field of research, etc

   2. ( as modifier )

      specialist knowledge

2. an enlisted rank in the US Army denoting technical qualifications that entitle the holder to a noncommissioned officer's pay

3. ecology an organism that has special nutritional requirements and lives in a restricted habitat that provides these Compare generalist

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Other Word Forms

• nonspecialist noun
• prespecialist noun
• specialistic adjective
• subspecialist noun

Etymology

Origin of specialist

First recorded in 1855–60; special + -ist

Example Sentences

“More people want to use them,” said Lauren Colenso-Semple, a muscle physiology researcher and science communication specialist who follows scientific studies of peptides as part of her work.

From Salon • Apr. 4, 2026

Mission specialist Christina Koch, the first woman to venture into deep space, said preparing for the 10-day journey was akin to planning for a camping trip.

From Barron's • Apr. 4, 2026

Complaints were made about the work undertaken by Key Forensic Services, so Essex Police brought in Iain Peck, a specialist fire investigator from Prometheus Forensic services to review it.

From BBC • Apr. 2, 2026

"Under normal circumstances, flies stop moving when exposed to strong airflow," said Saldes, now a science research specialist at the University of Illinois College of Medicine Peoria and a former doctoral student at UTEP.

From Science Daily • Mar. 31, 2026

Urey quarreled repeatedly with John Dunning, a Columbia colleague who was a specialist in the process.

From "Big Science" by Michael Hiltzik

Related Words

• authority
• consultant
• doctor
• guru
• professional
• scholar
• technician