specializespe‧cial‧ize (also specialise British English) /ˈspeʃəlaɪz/ ●○○ verb [intransitive] 
Verb Table Examples
Simmons specialized in contract law.
Verb TableVERB TABLE
specialize
| Simple Form | ||
| Present | I, you, we, they | specialize |
| he, she, it | specializes | |
| Past | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | specialized |
| Present perfect | I, you, we, they | have specialized |
| he, she, it | has specialized | |
| Past perfect | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | had specialized |
| Future | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | will specialize |
| Future perfect | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | will have specialized |
| Continuous Form | ||
| Present | I | am specializing |
| he, she, it | is specializing | |
| you, we, they | are specializing | |
| Past | I, he, she, it | was specializing |
| you, we, they | were specializing | |
| Present perfect | I, you, we, they | have been specializing |
| he, she, it | has been specializing | |
| Past perfect | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | had been specializing |
| Future | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | will be specializing |
| Future perfect | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | will have been specializing |
EXAMPLES FROM THE CORPUS
Thesaurus- Civil servants are non-political, anonymous, discreet and specialize in a particular sphere of public business.
- He had wanted the Agency to specialize in political cases.
- Hollington Architects Inc., specializes in institutional design, such as schools and churches.
- Later he specialized in war photography for magazines such as Life, Time, and Newsweek, winning a number of awards.
- They specialize in providing branch banking facilities to individuals.
- They specialize in the big picture and are no good at details.
Longman Language Activatorto know a lot about something► know (all) about
Collocations · My brother knows about cars. I'm sure he could fix it for you.· You can't become an architect unless you know all about building regulations.know a lot about something · The old man knew a lot about the history of the village.know all there is to know about something (=to know everything about a particular subject) · I thought I knew all there was to know about men, until I met Jason.
► knowledgeable knowing a lot of facts about a particular subject, especially about something that not many people know about: · The sales staff are all knowledgeable, helpful, and cheerful.knowledgeable about/in: · We are looking for people who are knowledgeable about the oil and banking industries.· Earley is a diligent reporter, knowledgeable in the field of espionage.
► be well versed in to know a lot about a particular subject because you have had a lot of experience of it: · The new prime minister is well versed in economic policy.· Victor Amadeus was reputed to be well versed in poisons and their antidotes.
► know something inside (and) out informal to know a particular subject very thoroughly: · She's very experienced -- she knows the advertising business inside out.· You need to know your specialized subject inside and out.
► be clued up British informal to know all the facts that you need to know about a subject, especially because you have found it out before you start doing something: be clued up on: · Are you clued up on what points to look for when buying a used car?be clued up about: · We'd better get clued up about this new computer system before we start using it.
► specialize in also specialise British to know a lot about one particular subject or activity because you study it or do it more than any other: · My history professor specialized in Russian history.· The chef specializes in Hunan and Szechuan cuisine, but all the dishes we tried were delicious.
► know what you are talking about informal to know a lot about a particular subject so that your judgement can be trusted, especially because you have had a lot of experience: · Pilger knows what he is talking about, having spent several years as a reporter in Vietnam.· Rolim seemed to know what he was talking about, but his theories raised some questions for me.
► know your stuff informal to know a lot about something, especially about how to do your job, in a way that other people think is impressive: · To pass that test the kids really have to know their stuff.· The doctor who came in looked very young. I was just hoping she knew her stuff.
COLLOCATIONS FROM OTHER ENTRIES► a restaurant specializes in something
Word family· Restaurants near the waterfront tend to specialize in seafood.
► technical/specialized vocabulary· The instructions were full of technical vocabulary.
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE CORPUSADVERB► highly· Essentially, each code word is a separate, highly specialized entity.· In large organizations, their duties may be highly specialized.· Jochen Schleese might be described as a highly specialized custom tailor.
► in· Some market research companies specialize in providing audits of the trends in sales of particular product types across all manufacturers.· Now, they specialize in one-liners.· Some cost estimators now specialize in only estimating computer software development and related costs.
► more· Although there is little agreement about their role, they seem to have had slightly more specialized duties.· Only a third of the curriculum is devoted to more specialized training for specific occupations or companies.· Amongst the term's more specialized medieval uses, however, is a sense that it shares with its Latin ancestor fabula.· The two hemispheres of the brain become more different and more specialized in boys.· Such as: If your needs are more specialized try a search engine, or scan Deja.com for an appropriate newsgroup.· That automatically takes it out of the realm of a mass-market film to something more specialized.· Their members were more specialized: a growing proportion of them had no medical background.· In especially difficult or puzzling cases, a more specialized evaluation may be conducted by an occupational or physical therapist.
NOUN► agency· He had wanted the Agency to specialize in political cases.· Y., travel agency specializing in cruises.· Private agencies generally specialize in clerical and secretarial work and may want to test your speeds, so be prepared for this.· The new agency will specialize in online advertising, which Goodby refuses to do.
► area· However, several may be assigned to large, complex projects, particularly because inspectors specialize in different areas of construction.· Many administrators develop great expertise within their specialized areas.
► business· Some of the more robust products offer specialized services for businesses, such as direct payroll deposit and cash concentration.· The increasingly specialized worlds of business, medicine, politics and technology are fueling the explosion of abbreviations.
► company· But the company, which specialized in minicomputers, failed to capitalize on the switch to personal computers.· Some market research companies specialize in providing audits of the trends in sales of particular product types across all manufacturers.· All its scientific equipment is leased from a venture company that specializes in providing such equipment.· To keep track of all the various product lines, companies structured according to specialized functions.· There are private companies who specialize in these services and who, incidentally, also have dedicated people working for them.· The company specializes in office furniture, according to owner Sandy Norby.
► computer· In a few years it will be clearer whether specialized network computers really do offer any other advantages.· Students are studying with the help of specialized computer reading programs.· A variety of area computer stores specialize in refitting older computers with new components.· Some cost estimators now specialize in only estimating computer software development and related costs.
► firm· Co. investment firm specializes in vulture investing.· One reason Smith Barney trails in sales is that the firm has long specialized in selling stocks, not taxable bonds.· The firm specializes in technology companies, which have poured into the market this year.· After interviewing numerous consultants, the glass company selected a firm that specialized in systematic performance improvement.· The firm specializes in real estate, banking, financial and other services.
► law· Most applicants are represented by a barrister or solicitor specializing in transport law.· The United States sees intellectual property rights as sacred, said Thomas Klitgaard, an attorney specializing in international law.· None of the committee members in these crucial years specialized in criminal law or family law.
► lawyer· Dan Mulligan, a San Francisco lawyer who specializes in handling lending and foreclosure cases, agreed that homeowners shared responsibility.· Many lawyers who specialize in estate planning say they are aware of the filing procedure but seldom use it.
► service· There are private companies who specialize in these services and who, incidentally, also have dedicated people working for them.· Some of the more robust products offer specialized services for businesses, such as direct payroll deposit and cash concentration.· Some specialize in specific financial services.· The corporation provides travel agents with specialized services that can be configured according to the needs of the marketplace or the customer.· MasterWord specializes in providing services on call, 24 hours a day, in 40 languages.· Generally, a contractor is the firm under contract to provide specialized construction services.
VERB► become· Today, as activism becomes more and more specialized, the danger is of connections disappearing.· As Trantor becomes more specialized, it becomes more vulnerable, less able to defend itself.· Each tends to become specialized and is not readily integrated with the others.
WORD FAMILYnounspecialspecialistspeciality/specialtyspecializationspecialismadjectivespecialspecializedverbspecializeadverbspecially
to limit all or most of your study, business etc to a particular subject or activityspecialize in Simmons specialized in contract law.