specificity

[spes-uh-fis-i-tee]

noun

1. the quality or state of being specific.

2. Biochemistry, Pharmacology.,  the selective attachment or influence of one substance on another, as an antibiotic and its target organism or an antibody and its specific antigen.

Other Word Forms

• nonspecificity noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of specificity¹

First recorded in 1875–80; specific + -ity

Example Sentences

Clarke said he poured over recordings of the trial, listening to them first before he watched the videos, partly as a way to nail down the specificities of Alex’s accent and cadence.

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The coherent level of informed specificity certainly suggests authorship by a knowledgeable insider.

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"This level of specificity with minimal unanticipated genomic side effects offers real hope for the cancer patients who could one day receive this treatment."

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He recalls, with impressive specificity, building model airplanes, collecting prog-rock albums and, most significantly, discovering a passion for books.

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There’s one scene in which Grace reveals a snippet of backstory that might explain her psychology, and I think that specificity is a narrative misstep.

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Related Words

• particularity 
• precision