specific

American  

[spi-sif-ik] / spɪˈsɪf ɪk /

adjective

1. having a special application, bearing, or reference; specifying, explicit, or definite.

   to state one's specific purpose.

2. specified, precise, or particular.

   a specific sum of money.

   Antonyms:

   vague

3. peculiar or proper to somebody or something, as qualities, characteristics, effects, etc..

   His specific problems got him into trouble.

4. of a special or particular kind.

5. concerned specifically with the item or subject named (used in combination).

   The Secretary addressed himself to crop-specific problems.

6. Biology. of or relating to a species.

   specific characters.

7. Medicine/Medical.

   1. (of a disease) produced by a special cause or infection.

   2. (of a remedy) having special effect in the prevention or cure of a certain disease.

8. Immunology. (of an antibody or antigen) having a particular effect on only one antibody or antigen or affecting it in only one way.

9. Commerce. noting customs or duties levied in fixed amounts per unit, as number, weight, or volume.

10. Physics.

    1. designating a physical constant that, for a particular substance, is expressed as the ratio of the quantity in the substance to the quantity in an equal volume of a standard substance, as water or air.

    2. designating a physical constant that expresses a property or effect as a quantity per unit length, area, volume, or mass.

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noun

1. something specific, as a statement, quality, detail, etc.

2. Medicine/Medical. a specific remedy.

   There is no specific for the common cold.

specific British  

/ spɪˈsɪfɪk, ˌspɛsɪˈfɪsɪtɪ /

adjective

1. explicit, particular, or definite

   please be more specific

2. relating to a specified or particular thing

   a specific treatment for arthritis

3. of or relating to a biological species

   specific differences

4. (of a disease) caused by a particular pathogenic agent

5. physics

   1. characteristic of a property of a particular substance, esp in relation to the same property of a standard reference substance

      specific gravity

   2. characteristic of a property of a particular substance per unit mass, length, area, volume, etc

      specific heat

   3. (of an extensive physical quantity) divided by mass

      specific heat capacity

      specific volume

6. Also (rare): specifical.  commerce denoting a tariff levied at a fixed sum per unit of weight, quantity, volume, etc, irrespective of value

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noun

1. (sometimes plural) a designated quality, thing, etc

2. med any drug used to treat a particular disease

Synonym Usage

See special.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• specificity
  noun
• nonspecifically
  adverb
• prespecific
  adjective
• unspecifically
  adverb
• specifically
  adverb
• prespecifically
  adverb
• unspecific
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of specific

First recorded in 1625–35; from Medieval Latin specificus, equivalent to Latin speci(ēs) species + -ficus -fic

Explanation

If you describe something as specific, you're signaling that you're being precise. Say you ask your friend to meet you at a specific time and place — it means you want to meet her at, say, Ray's Pizza at 3:00 PM, not just anywhere. Specific also means "detailed and exact." That's the sense of the word that comes into play when a teacher advises you to be as specific as possible. Indeed, specific writing paints a picture. Say your friend Angela lives on a soybean farm in Iowa and takes Claritin for her pollen allergy. That might not be the most interesting fact in the world, but it's a lot more interesting than saying you have a friend who lives in the Midwest and takes medicine for a problem. If the sentence about Angela's pollen allergy is interesting at all, it's because of the specifics.

Example Sentences

The specific card he chose matters less than the process we used to narrow down the field.

From MarketWatch • Jun. 9, 2026

I wasn’t sure what the tone was — it’s such a specific tone when you watch the show, and it’s very Steve Conrad.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 9, 2026

Some advocates have said that those two companies are best positioned to implement more systematic, age-based controls rather than specific, age-based content bans for individual apps.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 8, 2026

For evolutionary science, they show why we must check our closest relatives before assuming a specific, or unique, cultural explanation.

From Science Daily • Jun. 8, 2026

“Besides, we’re not talking random mischief here. These were very intentional acts, and I’m guessing they were meant to convey specific messages.”

From "City Spies" by James Ponti

Related Words

• clear-cut
• definite
• definitive
• different
• distinct
• exact
• explicit
• individual
• limited
• peculiar
• precise
• special
• specialized
• unambiguous
• unequivocal
• unique