What does "specific" mean?
A distinguishing attribute or quality.
Specific
/spɪˈsɪf.ɪk/ adj, noun
adj, noun ·Common ·Middle school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A distinguishing attribute or quality.
- Grammar: specific is listed as adj, noun.
- Nearest alternatives: absolute, accurate observations, actual ecosystem, adapted.
- Useful contrasts: all-purpose, broad, general.
- Usage evidence: We have specific proof of your innocence.
How to use "specific"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "specific" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "specific" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "specific" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "specific" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "specific" is acting as adj, noun in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "absolute" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "specific", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A distinguishing attribute or quality.
- 2 a medicine that has a mitigating effect on a specific disease wordnet
- 3 A remedy for a specific disease or condition.
"Change of scene, and a new lover, are infallible specifics, always supposing there is no character for constancy to be supported: if I witness the violent sorrow of to-day, I impose upon to-morrow the necessity of being sorry also."
- 4 a fact about some part (as opposed to general) wordnet
- 5 Specification
Show 2 more definitions
- 6 The details; particulars. in-plural
- 7 The distinguishing part of a toponym.
"With the exception of names of pan-Canadian significance and some alternate forms approved by provincial authorities, the specific is not translated."
Adjective
- 1 Explicit or definite.
"While some participants, like Gabi and Jasmine, had access to a gym but still felt uncertain about using specific types of equipment, others who trained at home faced even greater challenges due to the absence of both a coach and proper equipment."
- 2 Pertaining to a species, as a taxon or taxa at the rank of species.
"Holonyms: generic, familial"
- 3 Special, distinctive or unique. in-compounds, sometimes
"A psychologist told WJLA TV that, for the most part, this isn’t a Cocomelon-specific issue. The main issue is too much screen time and children's shows with fast-paced sequences."
- 4 intended for, or applying to, a particular thing.
- 5 Serving to identify a particular thing (often a disease or condition), with little risk of mistaking something else for it.
"a highly specific test specific and nonspecific symptoms"
Show 5 more definitions
- 6 Being a remedy for a particular disease on a deeper level, rather than just masking the symptoms
"Quinine is a specific medicine in cases of malaria."
- 7 Limited to a particular antibody or antigen.
- 8 Of a value divided by mass (e.g. specific orbital energy).
- 9 Similarly referring to a value divided by any measure which acts to standardize it (e.g. thrust specific fuel consumption, referring to fuel consumption divided by thrust)
- 10 A measure compared with a standard reference value by division, to produce a ratio without unit or dimension (e.g. specific refractive index is a pure number, and is relative to that of air).
Adjective
- 1 stated explicitly or in detail wordnet
- 2 (sometimes followed by ‘to’) applying to or characterized by or distinguishing something particular or special or unique wordnet
- 3 being or affecting a disease produced by a particular microorganism or condition; used also of stains or dyes used in making microscope slides wordnet
- 4 relating to or distinguishing or constituting a taxonomic species wordnet
Synonyms
All synonymsExample
"We have specific proof of your innocence."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "specific"?
Common synonyms include: absolute, accurate observations, actual ecosystem, adapted, aid, alterative.
How do you use "specific" in a sentence?
We have specific proof of your innocence.
How do you pronounce "specific"?
Pronounced /spɪˈsɪf.ɪk/.
Etymology
From Old French specifique, from Late Latin specificus (“specific, particular”), from Latin speciēs (“kind”) + -ific.