specification
Americannoun
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the act of specifying.
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Usually specifications.
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a detailed description or assessment of requirements, dimensions, materials, etc., as of a proposed building, machine, bridge, etc.
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Computers. a detailed description of the hardware installed, including the memory capacity, processor speed, and graphics card model.
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a particular item, aspect, calculation, etc., in such a description.
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something specified, as in a bill of particulars; a specified particular, item, or article.
- Synonyms:
- qualification, condition, requirement
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an act of making specific.
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the state of having a specific character.
noun
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the act or an instance of specifying
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(in patent law) a written statement accompanying an application for a patent that describes the nature of an invention
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a detailed description of the criteria for the constituents, construction, appearance, performance, etc, of a material, apparatus, etc, or of the standard of workmanship required in its manufacture
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an item, detail, etc, specified
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of specification
First recorded in 1605–15; from Medieval Latin specificātiōn- (stem of specificātiō ), equivalent to specificāt(us) (past participle of specificāre “to mention, describe”; see specific, -ate 1) + -iōn- -ion
Explanation
We sometimes call them "specs," but a specification has no relationship to eyeglasses! Instead, it is an explicit detail of a design, presenting the exact way something specific must be constructed. For example, blueprints contain the specifications for a building. In the 17th century, the word specification emerged with the meaning of giving something a specific quality. The technical meaning, applied to building and engineering plans, developed in the late 18th century. The meaning of the word is precise, referring to specific plans, although just because it's a specification doesn't mean it is accurate. Science-fiction writer Robert Heinlein once had his character Lazarus Long make the comment, "An elephant is a mouse built to government specifications."
Vocabulary lists containing specification
Word Generation Science - Energy
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"La Vida Robot" and "Reading, Writing and... Recreation"
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"Modern Automotive Technology," Vocabulary from Section 1
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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.
See Examples For:
The Black Badge specification features a dark-anodized grille and hood figurine in the place of chrome brightwork—younger, fresher, more nocturnal, but also nicely understated, which I like.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 4, 2026
A complication was that McLaren were not running the latest specification of Mercedes power-unit, so can expect an uplift when they switch in Australia to the latest spec.
From BBC ● Feb. 20, 2026
The job specification describes the role as one of "the most important, high-profile public posts in the UK".
From Barron's ● Nov. 24, 2025
The rules say that gears and dog rings can be changed for others of identical specification provided the FIA is satisfied there is physical damage to the parts in question.
From BBC ● Aug. 19, 2025
The very earliest events in the specification of an embryo—the specification of the body axis, of front and back, and left versus right—were among the last to be understood.
From "The Gene" by Siddhartha Mukherjee
Rather than relying on SpaceX's published specifications, the team reconstructed the rocket's performance by extracting telemetry from publicly available video of its first four integrated flight tests.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 11, 2026
The order directs the Energy Department to set technical specifications, which will likely include the number and quality of qubits—the basic units of information in quantum computing.
From Barron's ● Jun. 22, 2026
As for the Cybercab, recent filings with U.S. regulators have given investors a full look at the technical specifications of the two-seat vehicle.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 18, 2026
E-bikes have zoomed into popularity across the country, especially among kids and teens, and that surge has been met with a wide array of models with different specifications and abilities.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 10, 2026
The generic electronic skull is then adjusted to Phineas's specifications.
From "Phineas Gage" by John Fleischman
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.
