specification

American  

[spes-uh-fi-key-shuhn] / ˌspɛs ə fɪˈkeɪ ʃən /

noun

specifications plural

1. the act of specifying.

2. Usually specifications.

   1. a detailed description or assessment of requirements, dimensions, materials, etc., as of a proposed building, machine, bridge, etc.

   2. Computers. a detailed description of the hardware installed, including the memory capacity, processor speed, and graphics card model.

3. a particular item, aspect, calculation, etc., in such a description.

4. something specified, as in a bill of particulars; a specified particular, item, or article.

   Synonyms:

   qualification, condition, requirement

5. an act of making specific.

6. the state of having a specific character.

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specification British  

/ ˌspɛsɪfɪˈkeɪʃən /

noun

1. the act or an instance of specifying

2. (in patent law) a written statement accompanying an application for a patent that describes the nature of an invention

3. 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

4. an item, detail, etc, specified

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• nonspecification
  noun
• prespecification
  noun
• respecification
  noun
• superspecification
  noun

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• specifications
  plural

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."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

specification specifications

Arcade said it has also contributed directly to the open-source MCP specification and open-source technology that lets customers build their own MCP servers with the same capabilities.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 15, 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

Headline lap times in testing are notoriously unreliable as indicators of form as the specification in which the cars are running is not made public.

From BBC ● Feb. 11, 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

Having absorbed Lawrence’s confidence that further efficiencies eventually would be achieved, Groves reduced the specification for Y-12 to five hundred tanks, or five racetracks.

From "Big Science" by Michael Hiltzik

That drone can carry more than 200 pounds at sea level and about 100 pounds on the mountain, according to company specifications.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 26, 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

That dwarfed the offerings of Morocco, which had no existing stadiums that conformed to tournament specifications and would need to spend upwards of $15 billion to prepare for a World Cup.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 7, 2026

Not surprisingly, those government purity specifications are based on what German breweries put into beer, and not on what American, French, and Swedish breweries like to put into beer.

From "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared M. Diamond

Related Words

• blueprint
• spec
• stipulation