specialist
gb/spˈɛʃəlɪst/ us/spˈɛʃəlɪst/
B1
English
~ 2900
Senses
0 senses
Noun
B1
entity
1
An expert in a specific field
A person who knows a lot about one subject or job.
Usage pattern:
[someone] is a specialist in [a field]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'specialist' with 'special', but 'specialist' refers to a person, not an adjective describing something unique.
Synonyms
expert (More general; can refer to anyone highly skilled, not necessarily with formal training.)
|
professional (Implies someone working in a field, but not always with deep specialized knowledge.)
Antonyms
generalist (A person with knowledge in many areas rather than deep expertise in one.)
Collocations
medical specialist
|IT specialist
|marketing specialist
|legal specialist
|military specialist
Themes
work
|education
|science
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- The hospital referred her to a heart specialist.
- He works as an IT specialist for a large company.
- They hired a marketing specialist to improve sales.
- As a legal specialist, she advises companies on compliance issues.
- The army deployed communication specialists to the area.
Learner examples
- She is a computer specialist.
- I saw a skin specialist for my rash.
- He is a language specialist at the school.
- We need a car repair specialist.
- My uncle is a medical specialist.
Grammar
Dictionary form
specialist
IPA
GB/spˈɛʃəlɪst/
US/spˈɛʃəlɪst/
Syllables & stress
spe - cial - ist (3 syllables)
Stress on 1st syllable (spe)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: specialist
- Plural: specialists
Word family
Forms
specialists
noun
Core family
Related words
specialized
adjective
specialty
noun B1
Negative and opposite forms
unspecialized
adjective
nonspecialist
noun
Expressions
IT specialist
1/ˈaɪ tˈi spˈɛʃəlɪst/
fixed phrase
An expert in information technology
A person who knows and works with computers and technology.
Examples
- The company hired an IT specialist to upgrade their network.
- As an IT specialist, he manages all the office computers.
medical specialist
1/mˈɛdɪkəl spˈɛʃəlɪst/
fixed phrase
A doctor for a specific medical field
A doctor who works only in one kind of medicine.
Examples
- You may need to see a medical specialist for further tests.
- She is a medical specialist in heart diseases.
subject matter specialist
1/sˈʌbd͡ʒɪkt mˈætɚ spˈɛʃəlɪst/
fixed phrase
An expert on a particular topic
A person who knows a lot about the topic being talked about or worked on.
Examples
- The committee invited a subject matter specialist to review the proposal.
- As a subject matter specialist, she ensures all content is accurate.