specifically
Americanadverb
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in a definite or precise manner.
The suspect was not specifically named in the report. More specifically, you will be responsible for half the total cost.
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with an exact use or purpose in mind.
The manual is written specifically for nonexperts.
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with reference to qualities that are peculiar or proper to someone or something.
Our classes are specifically different from other yoga programs.
Etymology
Origin of specifically
First recorded in 1620–25; specific ( def. ) + -ly ( def. )
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.
“And my sisters will not stop talking unless you specifically ask them to. They’re going to want to know everything about you. But you don’t have to tell them. They’re just nosy.”
From Literature
More specifically, Clara had known for a hundred years that Molly preferred women.
From Literature
And both were obsessed with art, specifically French impressionism.
From Literature
A letter to Le Figaro had even specifically called for the investigation to focus on the workers who had put the Mona Lisa behind glass.
From Literature
If there was one thing their father had specifically told them, it was that it paid to be as precise as possible.
From Literature
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.
