Specialties

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. Distinct fields of work or study highlighting unique skills and knowledge
2. Specific areas of concentration within professions that showcase specialized talents and expertise
3. Distinct areas within a profession or field in which a person applies specialized knowledge and skills

Etymology: "Specialties" is the plural of "specialty," so it simply names more than one field of expertise or line of work. The singular "specialty" came into English from Old French "specialte" (also spelled "especialte"), which itself derived from the Latin "specialitas," meaning a particular or individual quality. Latin "specialitas" was built from "specialis," relating to a particular kind or class, and that adjective is the source of English "special." The sense of a particular, distinctive trait is still present in the older meaning that the word carried in English. Over time it narrowed from "something peculiar to an individual or thing" to a particular branch of knowledge or skill that a person has mastered. The plural form took on the sense of several such fields, which is how it is used today for areas of professional or academic focus.

Synonyms: specializations, expertise, niches, fields, professions

Antonyms: generalities, commonalities, uniformities, averages, conformities