Other Word Forms
- nonspecificity noun
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
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Top Ten Most Relevant Words from Republican Presidential Candidates' Debate - Nov. 10, 2015
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United States v. Nixon (1974)
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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.
"In an AI search engine, the average length is 40 to 60 words. So, you're talking about an order of magnitude of specificity change."
From BBC • Apr. 6, 2026
“AI favors firsthand experience, specificity and continuously refreshed discussions. So the more activity that is happening around your brand, the more likely you are to be propelled into the conversation.”
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 22, 2026
If you want a little more specificity as you move through these steps, keep it simple.
From Salon • Mar. 19, 2026
What her books lack in character diversity, they make up for in specificity.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 10, 2026
In a way, it is the most unbiologic of all phenomena, violating the most fundamental myth of the last century, for it denies the importance of specificity, integrity, and separateness in living things.
From "The Lives of a Cell" by Lewis Thomas
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.
