specialization

• specialisation (non-Oxford British spelling)

specialize +‎ -ation

• IPA^(key): /ˌspɛʃəlɪˈzeɪʃn̩/
• Rhymes: -eɪʃən
• Hyphenation: spe‧cial‧i‧za‧tion

specialization (countable and uncountable, plural specializations)

1. The act or process of specializing.
   • 1973, Robert A. Heinlein, Time Enough For Love:

     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, program a computer, cook a tasty meal, fight efficiently, die gallantly. Specialization is for insects.

2. The area in which someone specializes.
   • 2012, Glenn M. Wong, The Comprehensive Guide to Careers in Sports, Jones & Bartlett Publishers (→ISBN), page 35:

     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 be considered as a second option in lieu of the joint degree.

3. (biology) The adaptation of an organism to a specific environment, or adaptation of an organ to a particular function.
   • 2012, O. A. Jones, Biology and Geology of Coral Reefs V2: Biology 1, Elsevier (→ISBN), page 248:

     Specialization is frequently divided into two categories largely based on methods of study: food specialization and specialization with respect to microhabitat.

4. (mathematics) 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.

• (act of specializing): particularization; see also Thesaurus:specialization

• (act of specializing): abstraction, generalization; see also Thesaurus:generalization