adj
Meaning 1
Explicit or definite.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Standard Lemma guide
specific
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.
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Received-Pronunciation: /spɪˈsɪf.ɪk/
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Australian, Canada, General-American: /spɪˈsɪf.ɪk/
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Australian, Canada, General-American: /spəˈsɪf.ɪk/
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US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
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New-Zealand: /spəˈsəf.ək/
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Hong-Kong: /spɛkˈsi.fɪk/
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South-Asia: /ˈspɛ.sɪ.fɪk/
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South-Asia: /ˈspɛs.fɪk/
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rhymes with -ɪfɪk
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CMU ARPABET: S P AH0 S IH1 F IH0 K Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
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CMU ARPABET 2: S P IH0 S IH1 F IH0 K Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
adj
Meaning 2
Pertaining to a species, as a taxon or taxa at the rank of species.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Topics: biology, natural-sciences, taxonomy
Examples
- Holonyms: generic, familial
- Meronyms: infrasubspecific, infraspecific, subspecific
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
adj
Meaning 3
Special, distinctive or unique.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: in-compounds, sometimes
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
adj
Meaning 4
intended for, or applying to, a particular thing.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
adj
Meaning 5
Serving to identify a particular thing (often a disease or condition), with little risk of mistaking something else for it.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Examples
- a highly specific test specific and nonspecific symptoms
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
adj
Meaning 6
Being a remedy for a particular disease on a deeper level, rather than just masking the symptoms
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Examples
- Quinine is a specific medicine in cases of malaria.
- Any improvement in secondary sciatica is probably due to the analgesic action of the sodium salicylate, but in primary sciatica, in all likelihood “rheumatic,” the effect of the sodium salicylate appears to be specific rather than symptomatic.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
adj
Meaning 7
Limited to a particular antibody or antigen.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Topics: immunology, medicine, sciences
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
adj
Meaning 8
Of a value divided by mass (e.g. specific orbital energy).
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Topics: natural-sciences, physical-sciences, physics
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
adj
Meaning 9
Similarly referring to a value divided by any measure which acts to standardize it (e.g. thrust specific fuel consumption, referring to fuel consumption divided by thrust)
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Topics: natural-sciences, physical-sciences, physics
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
adj
Meaning 10
A measure compared with a standard reference value by division, to produce a ratio without unit or dimension (e.g. specific refractive index is a pure number, and is relative to that of air).
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Topics: natural-sciences, physical-sciences, physics
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Meaning 11
A distinguishing attribute or quality.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Meaning 12
A remedy for a specific disease or condition.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Meaning 13
Specification
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Meaning 14
The details; particulars.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: in-plural
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Meaning 15
The distinguishing part of a toponym.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: generic
adjective
Meaning 16
(sometimes followed by `to') applying to or characterized by or distinguishing something particular or special or unique
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
- rules with specific application
- demands specific to the job
- a specific and detailed account of the accident
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: general, nonspecific
adjective
Meaning 17
being or affecting a disease produced by a particular microorganism or condition; used also of stains or dyes used in making microscope slides
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
- quinine is highly specific for malaria
- a specific remedy
- a specific stain is one having a specific affinity for particular structural elements
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: nonspecific
adjective
Meaning 18
relating to or distinguishing or constituting a taxonomic species
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
- specific characters
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
adjective satellite
Meaning 19
stated explicitly or in detail
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
- needed a specific amount
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Meaning 20
a medicine that has a mitigating effect on a specific disease
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
- quinine is a specific for malaria
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: medicine, medication, medicament, medicinal drug
noun
Meaning 21
a fact about some part (as opposed to general)
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
- he always reasons from the particular to the general
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: particular
Antonyms: general
Broader terms: fact
History
Etymology
From Old French specifique, from Late Latin specificus (“specific, particular”), from Latin speciēs (“kind”) + -ific.
Across languages
Translations
119 source translations are retained for this English entry.
- Afrikaans: spesifiek — explicit or definite
- Asturian: específicu — explicit or definite
- Bulgarian: специфи́чен (specifíčen) — explicit or definite
- Bulgarian: определе́н (opredelén) — explicit or definite
- Catalan: específic — explicit or definite
- Czech: konkrétní — explicit or definite
- Dutch: specifiek — explicit or definite
- Esperanto: specifa — explicit or definite
- Estonian: kindel — explicit or definite
- Finnish: erityinen — explicit or definite
- Finnish: tietty — explicit or definite
- Galician: específico — explicit or definite
- German: spezifisch — explicit or definite
- Greek: συγκεκριμένος (sygkekriménos) — explicit or definite
- Hebrew: מסוים (m’suyam) — explicit or definite
- Hebrew: ספציפי (spetsífi) — explicit or definite
- Hungarian: konkrét — explicit or definite
- Hungarian: specifikus — explicit or definite
- Indonesian: spesifik — explicit or definite
- Italian: specifico — explicit or definite
- Japanese: 特定 (tokutei) — explicit or definite
- Japanese: 具体的 (gutaiteki) — explicit or definite
- Latin: specialis — explicit or definite
- Māori: tauwhāiti — explicit or definite
- Māori: tautohu — explicit or definite
- Khiamniungan Naga: tīngthì — explicit or definite
- Occitan: especific — explicit or definite
- Polish: konkretny — explicit or definite
- Portuguese: específico — explicit or definite
- Romanian: specific — explicit or definite
- Russian: я́вный (jávnyj) — explicit or definite
- Russian: конкре́тный (konkrétnyj) — explicit or definite
- Russian: специфи́ческий (specifíčeskij) — explicit or definite
- Sinhalese: නිශ්චිත (niścita) — explicit or definite
- Spanish: específico — explicit or definite
- Swedish: specifik — explicit or definite
- Tibetan: བྱེ་བྲག — explicit or definite
- Ottoman Turkish: مخصوص (mahsus) — explicit or definite
- Ottoman Turkish: خصوصی (hususî) — explicit or definite
- Ukrainian: конкре́тний (konkrétnyj) — explicit or definite
- Ukrainian: специфі́чний (specyfíčnyj) — explicit or definite
- Welsh: penodol — explicit or definite
- Bulgarian: ви́дов (vídov) — of, or relating to a species
- Catalan: específic — of, or relating to a species
- Finnish: laji- — of, or relating to a species
- Finnish: lajityyppinen — of, or relating to a species
- French: spécifique — of, or relating to a species
- Portuguese: específico — of, or relating to a species
- Russian: видово́й (vidovój) — of, or relating to a species
- Ukrainian: видовий (vydovyj) — of, or relating to a species
- Catalan: específic — pertaining to a taxon at the rank of species
- Finnish: laji- — pertaining to a taxon at the rank of species
- Portuguese: específico — pertaining to a taxon at the rank of species
- Bulgarian: специфи́чен (specifíčen) — special, distinctive or unique
- Bulgarian: осо́бен (osóben) — special, distinctive or unique
- Catalan: específic — special, distinctive or unique
- Czech: specifický — special, distinctive or unique
- Estonian: eriline — special, distinctive or unique
- Finnish: erityinen — special, distinctive or unique
- Greek: ειδικός (eidikós) — special, distinctive or unique
- Indonesian: spesifik — special, distinctive or unique
- Italian: particolare — special, distinctive or unique
- Māori: tauwhāiti — special, distinctive or unique
- Polish: specyficzny — special, distinctive or unique
- Polish: osobliwy — special, distinctive or unique
- Russian: осо́бенный (osóbennyj) — special, distinctive or unique
- Russian: осо́бый (osóbyj) — special, distinctive or unique
- Russian: конкре́тный (konkrétnyj) — special, distinctive or unique
- Ottoman Turkish: مخصوص (mahsus) — special, distinctive or unique
- Ottoman Turkish: خصوصی (hususî) — special, distinctive or unique
- Ukrainian: особли́вий (osoblývyj) — special, distinctive or unique
- Ukrainian: конкре́тний (konkrétnyj) — special, distinctive or unique
- Bulgarian: специфи́чен (specifíčen) — intended for, or applying to a particular thing
- Bulgarian: характе́рен (haraktéren) — intended for, or applying to a particular thing
- Czech: specifický — intended for, or applying to a particular thing
- Estonian: omane — intended for, or applying to a particular thing
- Finnish: erityinen — intended for, or applying to a particular thing
- Finnish: erikois- — intended for, or applying to a particular thing
- German: spezifisch — intended for, or applying to a particular thing
- Greek: ειδικός (eidikós) — intended for, or applying to a particular thing
- Greek: εξειδικευμένος (exeidikevménos) — intended for, or applying to a particular thing
- Italian: peculiare — intended for, or applying to a particular thing
- Italian: specifico — intended for, or applying to a particular thing
- Malayalam: ഒരിനം (orinaṁ) — intended for, or applying to a particular thing
- Portuguese: específico — intended for, or applying to a particular thing
- Romanian: specific — intended for, or applying to a particular thing
- Russian: специа́льный (speciálʹnyj) — intended for, or applying to a particular thing
- Ottoman Turkish: مخصوص (mahsus) — intended for, or applying to a particular thing
- Ottoman Turkish: خصوصی (hususî) — intended for, or applying to a particular thing
- Ukrainian: спеціа́льний (speciálʹnyj) — intended for, or applying to a particular thing
- Catalan: específic — being a remedy for a particular disease
- Finnish: spesifinen — being a remedy for a particular disease
- Portuguese: específico — being a remedy for a particular disease
- Spanish: específico — being a remedy for a particular disease
- Finnish: spesifinen — being limited to a particular antibody or antigen
- Italian: specifico — being limited to a particular antibody or antigen
- Bulgarian: специфичен (specifičen) — of a value divided by the mass
- Czech: specifický — of a value divided by the mass
- Estonian: eri- — of a value divided by the mass
- Finnish: ominais- — of a value divided by the mass
- French: spécifique — of a value divided by the mass
- Georgian: კუთრი (ḳutri) — of a value divided by the mass
- Hungarian: fajlagos — of a value divided by the mass
- Italian: specifico — of a value divided by the mass
- Russian: удельный (udelʹnyj) — of a value divided by the mass
- Ukrainian: питомий (pytomyj) — of a value divided by the mass
- Czech: relativní — of a measure compared to a standard reference
- Finnish: ominais- — of a measure compared to a standard reference
- French: spécifique — of a measure compared to a standard reference
- Russian: относительный (otnositelʹnyj) — of a measure compared to a standard reference
- Ukrainian: відносний (vidnosnyj) — of a measure compared to a standard reference
- Finnish: erityispiirre — distinguishing attribute
- Finnish: ominaispiirre — distinguishing attribute
- German: Spezifik — distinguishing attribute
- German: Spezifikum — distinguishing attribute
- German: Besonderheit — distinguishing attribute
- Romanian: specific — distinguishing attribute
- French: spécifique — distinguishing part of a toponym
- Spanish: especificidades — (in the plural) the details; particulars
Real reading context