specify
Americanverb (used with object)
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specifies,
present (3rd person singular)
-
specified,
past participle, past
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specifying
present participle
-
to mention or name specifically or definitely; state in detail.
He did not specify the amount needed.
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to give a specific character to.
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to set forth as a specification.
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to name or state as a condition.
He specified that he be given my power of attorney.
verb (used without object)
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specifies,
present (3rd person singular)
-
specified,
past participle, past
-
specifying
present participle
verb
-
to refer to or state specifically
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to state as a condition
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to state or include in the specification of
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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specifiernoun
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respecifyverb
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prespecifyverb (used with object)
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underspecifyverb (used with object)
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misspecifiedadjective
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nonspecifiedadjective
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specificativeadjective
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underspecifiedadjective
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unspecifiedadjective
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unspecifyingadjective
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specificativelyadverb
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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specifysimple
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specifiessimple
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have specifiedperfect
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has specifiedperfect
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am specifyingprogressive
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are specifyingprogressive
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is specifyingprogressive
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have been specifyingperfect progressive
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has been specifyingperfect progressive
Past
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specifiedsimple
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had specifiedperfect
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was specifyingprogressive
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were specifyingprogressive
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had been specifyingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of specify
First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English specyfyen, from Old French specifier, from Medieval Latin specificāre “to describe, mention particularly,” from specific(us) specific + āre, infinitive verb suffix
Explanation
To explicitly name something or state a particular detail, you specify that thing. So, when you have a craving for dessert and you send someone to the store to buy ice cream, you may want to specify a flavor. If you assign something for a particular purpose, this verb means that you specify. Your parents can specify for safety's sake that you can only ride your bicycle on the sidewalk and not on the street. Another use of the verb specify is to give a set of requirements. If you have your grandmother's old recipe for snickerdoodle cookies, you may wonder what the recipe means when it specifies that you should add "a smidgen of molasses."
Vocabulary lists containing specify
Tier 2 Words for the SBAC ELA Items
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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:
North Korean state media didn’t specify where the museum was located or if it would be open to the general public.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 13, 2026
Zelenskyy said Ukraine’s armed forces had received appropriate orders, although he did not specify what those instructions entailed.
From Salon ● Oct. 11, 2026
The two airports were attacked on 6 and 7 October, according to Gaca, which did not specify when each airport was hit.
From BBC ● Oct. 8, 2026
When their functions changed, both generally came to specify the same amino acid.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 8, 2026
So one can specify it by four numbers or coordinates.
From "A Brief History of Time: And Other Essays" by Stephen Hawking
It also specifies that agencies are not required to treat engagement from AI or bots as if they were real humans.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 28, 2026
"These are thick blocks of ice that can drift for years," specifies Dr. Abigail Dalton of the Canadian Ice Service, Environment and Climate Change Canada.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 26, 2026
The most straightforward way of keeping your moods from affecting your portfolio is to have a detailed financial plan that, well in advance, specifies how you will react, come what may.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 12, 2026
Congress determines which departments and agencies will exist and specifies the authority and duties of their principal officers.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 30, 2026
Yet scientists today could undoubtedly, if they wished, fulfill for many species that part of the definition of domestication that specifies the control of breeding and food supply.
From "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared M. Diamond
The ride involved has not been specified but aerial footage from news helicopters showed the Goliath rollercoaster stopped midway, and multiple witnesses have identified the ride as the one involved in the incident.
From BBC ● Oct. 14, 2026
TAA specified lysine, while TAG specified glutamic acid.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 8, 2026
Call options give investors the right, but not the obligation, to buy a certain security at a specified price by a certain date.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 7, 2026
The White House hasn’t specified what exactly Clayton will do in the new role beyond coordinating AI policy across agencies.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 2, 2026
The boy assumes they are there for some manner of lesson, but no particular area of study is specified.
From "The Night Circus" by Erin Morgenstern
RSF has said that a third country has offered him asylum, without specifying which, but that departures planned for February and June were cancelled after Thai immigration authorities withheld exit clearance without explanation.
From Barron's ● Oct. 8, 2026
One of the bills, introduced by Stefani, expands the ability of certified nurse-midwives to provide care for pregnant and postpartum patients by specifying that supervision by a physician is not required when providing certain services.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 27, 2026
The purported hacker has released snippets of the stolen client data—including Römer’s—and threatened to release more unless Revolut pays up, without publicly specifying an amount.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 15, 2026
Meanwhile the government in Kinshasa released a statement on X, without specifying numbers of casualties.
From BBC ● Sep. 10, 2026
If genes were discrete particles specifying one trait, then how could this property be reconciled with the occurrence of human characteristics, say, height or skin color, in continuous curves?
From "The Gene" by Siddhartha Mukherjee
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