speciality

speciality — noun

1. A food or product for which a particular place, restaurant, or shop is well know

1.nounB1
Definition

A food or product for which a particular place, restaurant, or shop is well known, thanks to its excellent preparation or local origin.

Example

The seafood paella is the speciality of the house at Chef Hugo's restaurant.

speciality of the house — typical restaurant context

Bao brought back several local specialities from his trip to Tainan.

local speciality — regional food or product

Common collocations
  • local speciality
  • regional speciality
  • culinary speciality
  • house speciality
  • speciality of the house
Synonyms
  • delicacy

    focuses on a rare or expensive food, not necessarily from a particular place

  • specialty

    US spelling of the same word

  • product

    broader; does not imply fame or excellence

Grammar Patterns

speciality of [place / restaurant / region]

Usage Note

UK spelling (US equivalent: specialty). Frequently used with adjectives like 'local', 'regional', or 'culinary' to describe what an area is known for producing.

Common Mistakes

Croissants are the special of the bakery.
Croissants are the speciality of the bakery.
'special' as a noun means a discount offer or a unique quality, not a famous product.

2. A specific area of work, study, or skill in which a person has deep knowledge an

2.nounB2
Definition

A specific area of work, study, or skill in which a person has deep knowledge and performs with notable ability.

Example

Paediatric heart surgery is Dr. Amani's speciality at the children's hospital.

[field] is [possessive] speciality — stating someone's area of expertise

Understanding local customs is a speciality of our tour guide, Léa.

a speciality of [person]

Common collocations
  • medical speciality
  • academic speciality
  • professional speciality
  • make a speciality of
Synonyms
  • expertise

    uncountable; refers to the level of knowledge rather than the field itself

  • forte

    more informal; refers to what someone does best

  • specialty

    US spelling

Antonyms

Grammar Patterns

[possessive] speciality

speciality of [person]

Usage Note

Frequently countable — 'a speciality' refers to a particular area. Also used uncountably in phrases like 'his speciality is…'. Can be used in the negative to say what someone does NOT mainly focus on.

Common Mistakes

Her speciality is she studies birds.
Her speciality is ornithology
the study of birds.' — a speciality names the field, not the activity of studying it.

3. A particular activity or thing that someone does or makes regularly, especially

3.nounB2
Definition

A particular activity or thing that someone does or makes regularly, especially one they are particularly good at or well known for.

Example

Grilled fish with lemon butter sauce is my father's speciality at family gatherings.

[food dish] is [possessive] speciality — signature dish

Mauricio's speciality is repairing antique clocks, a skill he developed after retiring.

Common collocations
  • family speciality
  • weekend speciality
  • personal speciality
Synonyms
  • forte

    slightly more informal; what someone does best

  • trademark

    emphasises recognisability — what someone is known for

  • signature

    common with dishes or performances

Grammar Patterns

[possessive] speciality

Usage Note

Distinguish from sense 2 (EXPERTISE): sense 3 emphasises a specific, repeated activity or created product rather than a broad field of knowledge. Often used for domestic or informal contexts like cooking, hobbies, or party tricks.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/2

All four words relate to what someone knows or does well, but they differ in scope and formality. 'Speciality' (UK) or 'specialty' (US) names a particular field or activity — it is the broadest of the set, covering both professional disciplines and personal hobbies. 'Expertise' is uncountable and refers to the level of skill or knowledge within a field rather than the field itself — you would say 'her expertise in cardiology', not 'cardiology is her expertise'. 'Forte' is more informal and personal, often used for something someone does particularly well outside their main profession. For example: 'Corporate law is his speciality, but cooking Italian food is his real forte.' In US English, 'specialty' replaces 'speciality' across all three senses.

expertise ↗fortespecialty ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

  • local speciality
  • regional speciality
  • culinary speciality
  • house speciality
  • medical speciality
  • academic speciality
  • family speciality

Phrases

  • speciality of the house
  • make a speciality of something
  • not someone's speciality

Etymology

LatinOld FrenchEnglish

The word comes from Late Latin 'specialitas', meaning 'a special thing or quality', which was formed from Latin 'specialis' ('individual, particular'). It entered English through Old French 'especialité' in the 15th century. The spelling 'speciality' became standard in British English, while American English shortened it to 'specialty' in the 19th century.