SPECIALIZATION

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 Dictionary entry overview: What does specialization mean? 

• SPECIALIZATION (noun)
  The noun SPECIALIZATION has 3 senses:

1. the act of specializing; making something suitable for a special purpose

2. the special line of work you have adopted as your career

3. (biology) the structural adaptation of some body part for a particular function

  Familiarity information: SPECIALIZATION used as a noun is uncommon.

 Dictionary entry details 

• SPECIALIZATION (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

The act of specializing; making something suitable for a special purpose

Classified under:

Nouns denoting acts or actions

Synonyms:

specialisation; specialization

Hypernyms ("specialization" is a kind of...):

change of state (the act of changing something into something different in essential characteristics)

Derivation:

specialize (suit to a special purpose)

Sense 2

Meaning:

The special line of work you have adopted as your career

Classified under:

Nouns denoting acts or actions

Synonyms:

specialisation; specialism; speciality; specialization; specialty

Context example:

his specialization is gastroenterology

Hypernyms ("specialization" is a kind of...):

calling; career; vocation (the particular occupation for which you are trained)

Derivation:

specialize (devote oneself to a special area of work)

Sense 3

Meaning:

(biology) the structural adaptation of some body part for a particular function

Classified under:

Nouns denoting natural processes

Synonyms:

differentiation; specialisation; specialization

Context example:

cell differentiation in the developing embryo

Hypernyms ("specialization" is a kind of...):

adaptation; adaption; adjustment (the process of adapting to something (such as environmental conditions))

Domain category:

biological science; biology (the science that studies living organisms)

Derivation:

specialize (evolve so as to lead to a new species or develop in a way most suited to the environment)

 Context examples 

A relationship of specialization that states that a concept is a particular kind of another concept.

(isa Relationship, NCI Thesaurus)

This allele, which encodes C-C chemokine receptor type 9 protein, is involved in thymocyte recruitment and development that plays a role in the specialization of immune responses in the gastrointestinal tract.

(CCR9 wt Allele, NCI Thesaurus)

That dietary specialization may have made hyaenodonts more vulnerable to extinction in the changing African ecosystem by leaving them with fewer food choices.

(Fossil discovery in Tanzania reveals ancient bobcat-sized carnivore, National Science Foundation)

A registered nurse with specialization and higher level of training in treating the elderly population.

(Gerontological Nurse Practitioner, NCI Thesaurus)

He attempted to read books that required years of preliminary specialization.

(Martin Eden, by Jack London)

Progressive restriction of the developmental potential and increasing specialization of function which takes place during the development of the embryo and leads to the formation of specialized cells, tissues, and organs.

(Cell Differentiation Process, NCI Thesaurus)

A laboratory procedure that is performed in more than one of these laboratory specializations: anatomic pathology, clinical pathology, or molecular pathology.

(Mixed Category Laboratory Procedure, NCI Thesaurus)

Cell Differentiation Inhibition involves interference or restraint of progressive and normally irreversible processes whereby restriction of the developmental potential of immature precursor cells results in increasing specialization of cell function and morphology.

(Negative Regulation of Cell Differentiation, NCI Thesaurus)

The Doctor of Philosophy in Human Services is a postgraduate degree in areas of specialization addressing social challenges within the health care field.

(Doctor of Philosophy in Human Services, NCI Thesaurus)

A licensed registered nurse with a certification that indicates specialization in providing nursing care to patients during ground transportation.

(Certified Transport Registered Nurse, NCI Thesaurus)