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Synonyms

specify

American

[spes-uh-fahy] / ˈspɛs əˌfaɪ /

verb (used with object)

to mention or name specifically or definitely; state in detail.

He did not specify the amount needed.

Synonyms:

stipulate, enumerate, indicate, detail
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)

to make a specific mention or statement.

specify British

/ ˈspɛsɪˌfaɪ /

verb

to refer to or state specifically
to state as a condition
to state or include in the specification of

"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

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

Inflected Forms

Participles

Conjugated Forms

Present

Past

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."

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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:

specify specifies specified specifying

The treaty does not specify the geographical criteria of a European state, but it's hard to imagine Canada qualifies.

From Barron's ● Sep. 14, 2026

The researchers pledged to return to the subject with more precise numbers, once security officials specify exactly how large the security zones will be.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 4, 2026

It requires officers to declare gifts above a certain threshold - which he did not specify - including gifts received from relatives abroad.

From BBC ● Sep. 1, 2026

“He’s not going to specify or commit to anything, and he’s not going to talk about the data. So the speech is not going to work.”

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 27, 2026

But she gave only some cursory measurements, pointedly declined to specify any details about the structure, and then brought a witheringly dull academic seminar to its close.

From "The Gene" by Siddhartha Mukherjee

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

It specifies no tax periods or matters, purporting instead to resolve “any and all claims,” forever, before agencies it does not even name.

From Slate ● Aug. 10, 2026

She specifies the evening, a Friday, tells him the address, somewhere in Chelsea.

From "The Namesake" by Jhumpa Lahiri

The VSC, which controls all cars to a specified maximum speed, then ended shortly before Norris completed the next lap, at the end of which he pitted.

From BBC ● Sep. 13, 2026

It’s designed to provide you a guaranteed return on your money for the specified time.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 11, 2026

Keeping such a sparse, specified operation going means narrowing budgets wherever possible, especially when it comes to managing Canopy’s investments and data.

From Slate ● Aug. 18, 2026

Ebm-Papst’s products are specified early in the HVAC/R design process, helping customers improve energy efficiency, enhance reliability and reduce total lifecycle costs across mission-critical applications, the company added.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 17, 2026

The moose, when shot, unfortunately lacked the imposing horns that Jefferson had specified, but Sullivan thoughtfully included a rack of antlers from an elk or stag with the suggestion that these be attached instead.

From "A Short History of Nearly Everything" by Bill Bryson

The advanced MQ1 drone -- used by only a few countries, including the United States -- was "destroyed" over the Strait of Hormuz, the Guards said, without specifying who was behind the attack.

From Barron's ● Sep. 8, 2026

In 2024, Buckingham Palace made Charles’ cancer diagnosis public without specifying the severity of his illness.

From Salon ● Aug. 20, 2026

It established the General Accounting Office, specifying that it “shall be independent of the executive departments.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 11, 2026

But rather than regulating dinner guests, Congress was specifying when mandatory duties attach to government officials stationed at ports of entry.

From Slate ● Jun. 26, 2026

And once you start specifying long and short notes in a chain, you generate a rhythmic pattern.

From "The Story of Music" by Howard Goodall

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023