specialization

Noun

specialization (countable and uncountable, plural specializations)

1. (British, English, Oxford, US) The act or process of specializing.
   • A human being should be able to change a diaper, plan an invasion, butcher a hog, conn a ship, design a building, write a sonnet, balance accounts, build a wall, set a bone, comfort the dying, take orders, give orders, cooperate, act alone, solve equations, analyze a new problem, pitch manure...1973, Robert A. Heinlein, Time Enough For Love

   Synonyms:

   particularization

2. (British, English, Oxford, US) The area in which someone specializes.
   • Many MBA programs now allow students to obtain a specialization in sport management. This differs from the joint degree programs in that only one degree, an MBA, is awarded (i.e., a separate master's degree in sport management is not awarded). The MBA with a sport management specialization should...2012, Glenn M. Wong, The Comprehensive Guide to Careers in Sports, Jones & Bartlett Publishers, →ISBN, page 35
3. (British, English, Oxford, US) The adaptation of an organism to a specific environment, or adaptation of an organ to a particular function.
   • Specialization is frequently divided into two categories largely based on methods of study: food specialization and specialization with respect to microhabitat.2012, O. A. Jones, Biology and Geology of Coral Reefs V2: Biology 1, Elsevier, →ISBN, page 248
4. (British, English, Oxford, US) A proof, axiom, problem, or definition whose cases are completely covered by another, broader concept.
   • A triangle is a specialization of a polygon to one with exactly three sides.