having a special application, bearing, or reference; specifying, explicit, or definite: to state one's specific purpose.
specified, precise, or particular: a specific sum of money.
peculiar or proper to somebody or something, as qualities, characteristics, effects, etc.: His specific problems got him into trouble.
of a special or particular kind.
concerned specifically with the item or subject named (used in combination): The Secretary addressed himself to crop-specific problems.
Biology. of or relating to a species: specific characters.
Medicine/Medical.
(of a disease) produced by a special cause or infection.
(of a remedy) having special effect in the prevention or cure of a certain disease.
Immunology. (of an antibody or antigen) having a particular effect on only one antibody or antigen or affecting it in only one way.
Commerce. noting customs or duties levied in fixed amounts per unit, as number, weight, or volume.
Physics.
designating a physical constant that, for a particular substance, is expressed as the ratio of the quantity in the substance to the quantity in an equal volume of a standard substance, as water or air.
designating a physical constant that expresses a property or effect as a quantity per unit length, area, volume, or mass.
noun
something specific, as a statement, quality, detail, etc.
Medicine/Medical. a specific remedy: There is no specific for the common cold.
Origin of specific
1625–35; < Medieval Latinspecificus, equivalent to Latinspeci(ēs) species + -ficus-fic
Related formsspe·cif·i·cal·ly, adverbnon·spe·cif·i·cal·ly, adverbpre·spe·cif·ic, adjectivepre·spe·cif·i·cal·ly, adverbun·spe·cif·ic, adjectiveun·spe·cif·i·cal·ly, adverb
1630s, "having a special quality," from French spécifique, from Late Latin specificus "constituting a species," from Latin species "kind, sort" (see species). Earlier form was specifical (early 15c.). Meaning "definite, precise" first recorded 1740.
