specify

[ spes-uh-fahy ]

/ ˈspɛs əˌfaɪ /

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See synonyms for: specify / specified / specifies / specifying on Thesaurus.com

verb (used with object), spec·i·fied, spec·i·fy·ing.

to mention or name specifically or definitely; state in detail: He did not specify the amount needed.

to give a specific character to.

to set forth as a specification.

to name or state as a condition: He specified that he be given my power of attorney.

verb (used without object), spec·i·fied, spec·i·fy·ing.

to make a specific mention or statement.

OTHER WORDS FOR specify

1 detail, indicate, enumerate, stipulate.

See synonyms for specify on Thesaurus.com

QUIZ

THINGAMABOB OR THINGUMMY: CAN YOU DISTINGUISH BETWEEN THE US AND UK TERMS IN THIS QUIZ?

Do you know the difference between everyday US and UK terminology? Test yourself with this quiz on words that differ across the Atlantic.

Question 1 of 7

In the UK, COTTON CANDY is more commonly known as…

candystring

candyfloss

candypuff

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of specify

1250–1300; Middle English specyfyen<Old French specifier<Medieval Latin specificāre.See specific, -fy

OTHER WORDS FROM specify

spec·i·fi·ca·tive

[spes-uh-fi-key-tiv], /ˈspɛs ə fɪˌkeɪ tɪv/, adjectivespec·i·fi·ca·tive·ly, adverbspec·i·fi·er, nounmis·spec·i·fied, adjective

non·spec·i·fied, adjectivepre·spec·i·fy, verb (used with object), pre·spec·i·fied, pre·spec·i·fy·ing.re·spec·i·fy, verb, re·spec·i·fied, re·spec·i·fy·ing.un·der·spec·i·fied, adjectiveun·der·spec·i·fy, verb (used with object), un·der·spec·i·fied, un·der·spec·i·fy·ing.un·spec·i·fied, adjectiveun·spec·i·fy·ing, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use specify in a sentence

Howe says it plans to incorporate customer feedback into these predictions — including by analyzing online reviews where people tend to specify if a particular shoe sizes larger or smaller than expected.
Xesto is a foot scanning app that simplifies shoe gifting|Natasha Lomas|November 20, 2020|TechCrunch
He did not specify how many doses each company would contribute.
Pfizer and BioNTech will seek regulatory clearance of their coronavirus vaccine|Carolyn Y. Johnson|November 20, 2020|Washington Post
The sequence of the 3 billion or so chemical bases composing the human genome that specifies the blueprint for our design accommodates the bohemian ideology of Kerouac’s Beat Generation as effortlessly as the ruthless culture of the Aztecs.
With CRISPR, humans can create their own evolutionary future|Adrian Woolfson|November 20, 2020|Washington Post
Now that you have a clear idea of what you want to build, it’s time to cut your rails, stiles, mullions, and panels to the dimensions specified in the materials list.
Build your own door and ascend to a higher level of DIY|Courtney Starr|November 20, 2020|Popular-Science

A will is a legal document that specifies how you want your property divided and who should be the guardians of your minor children.
Hints From Heloise: Framing family memories|Heloise Heloise|November 20, 2020|Washington Post
Family crests and nicknames are stitched into headrests, colors are specified for seat stitching, veneers are chosen for the dash.
Behind the Wheel of the Bespoke Bentley|Zoe Settle|October 27, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Al-Qaeda overran Lahij on August 11 unchallenged, bombed the buildings specified in the memos, then left.
Obama’s ‘Yemen Model’ for the War on ISIS Is a Wreck|Shuaib Almosawa|September 12, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The three have been given 45 days to accept a plea offer that the government has not yet specified.
Brooklyn Is the New Guantánamo for Three Suspected Al-Shabab Members|Michael Daly|September 26, 2013|DAILY BEAST
It is to be specified, Prophet Muhammad Peace be upon him said I am sent as a teacher, and the book He sent to teach is Quran.
The Taliban’s Letter to Malala Yousafzai|The Daily Beast|July 17, 2013|DAILY BEAST
The ceiling and roof were made of concrete, not wood and sheet metal as the contract specified.
U.S.-Built Schools in Afghanistan Pose ‘Potentially Life-Threatening Risks’||June 26, 2013|DAILY BEAST
In this act the Covenanting community vow to God to render general and specified obedience.
The Ordinance of Covenanting|John Cunningham
The obligation of such, therefore, even as those of the covenants specified, behove to continue.
The Ordinance of Covenanting|John Cunningham
A lease to a specified day continues during the whole of it, though custom or statute may prescribe a different rule.
Putnam's Handy Law Book for the Layman|Albert Sidney Bolles
A policy issued on a person beyond a specified age is prohibited by statute.
Putnam's Handy Law Book for the Layman|Albert Sidney Bolles
In any event if he receives the notice within the time specified, it will satisfy the law.
Putnam's Handy Law Book for the Layman|Albert Sidney Bolles

British Dictionary definitions for specify

specify

/ (ˈspɛsɪˌfaɪ) /

verb -fies, -fying or -fied (tr; may take a clause as object)

to refer to or state specifically

to state as a condition

to state or include in the specification of

Derived forms of specify

specificative (ˈspɛsɪfɪˌkeɪtɪv), adjectivespecifier, noun

Word Origin for specify

C13: from Medieval Latin specificāre to describe

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

specify

OTHER WORDS FOR specify

Origin of specify

OTHER WORDS FROM specify

Words related to specify

How to use specify in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for specify

Derived forms of specify

Word Origin for specify