Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of specificity
Explanation
Specificity is the goal of anyone who wants to know — or give — every single detail. If your friend's story is too vague, ask for specificity when things aren't clear. Specificity may look hard to pronounce, but if you remember that the first syllable rhymes with guess, the rest will flow easily: "spes-uh-FIS-uh-tee." Now try specificus, the Latin word at the root of specificity and the word species. Those words may not seem related — until you think about the classification of living things: kingdom, phylum, class, order, family, genus, species. Species is the most specific in the hierarchy!
Vocabulary lists containing specificity
What If It's Us
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Top Ten Most Relevant Words from Republican Presidential Candidates' Debate - Nov. 10, 2015
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
United States v. Nixon (1974)
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Specificity is key, because AI recommendations are going to be more targeted if there are more restraints in the prompt.
From MarketWatch • May 19, 2026
Specificity is the percentage of negatives that are correctly identified.
From Science Daily • Mar. 27, 2024
Specificity refers to ensuring the tests provide positive results for the given virus, and not for samples from uninfected people or those infected with a different virus.
From Seattle Times • Dec. 30, 2022
Specificity is the ruin of "Westworld" in write-ups like this one, particularly in a season reliant on twists that the trained observer will probably see coming.
From Salon • Jun. 26, 2022
“It’s the end of life on Earth. Specificity matters.”
From "We Are the Ants" by Shaun David Hutchinson
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
