Standard Lemma guide

specifically

adv · 3 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

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.

  • Australian, Canada, General-American, Received-Pronunciation: /spɪˈsɪf.ɪ.kli/
  • Australian, Canada, General-American, Received-Pronunciation: /spəˈsɪf.ɪ.kli/
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • New-Zealand: /spəˈsəf.ə.kli/
  • CMU ARPABET: S P AH0 S IH1 F IH0 K L IY0 Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

adv

Meaning 1

In a specific manner, applying to or naming a particular thing or things, expressly, explicitly.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: clearly, directly, downrightly, explicitly, expressis verbis, expressly, patently, plainly, specifically, unambiguously, unequivocally, univocally

Antonyms: generally, typically, classically

2

adv

Meaning 2

For a specific purpose or reason.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

adverb

Meaning 3

in distinction from others

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • a program specifically for teenagers
  • he is interested specifically in poisonous snakes

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: generally

History

Etymology

Etymology tree English specific Proto-Indo-European *h2el-der.? Proto-Italic *-ālis Latin -ālisbor. Old French -albor. ▲ Latin -ālis Old French -elbor. ▲ Latin -ālisbor. Middle English -al Proto-Indo-European *leyg-der. Proto-Germanic *līkąder. Proto-Germanic *-līkaz Proto-Germanic *-ê Proto-Germanic *-līkê Proto-West Germanic *-līkē Old English -līċe Middle English -ly Middle English -ally English -ally English specifically From specific + -ally.

Across languages

Translations

37 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Belarusian: у прыва́тнасці (u pryvátnasci) — for a specific purpose or reason
  • Catalan: específicament — for a specific purpose or reason
  • Chinese Mandarin: 具體說來 /具体说来 (jùtǐ shuōlái) — for a specific purpose or reason
  • Dutch: specifiek — for a specific purpose or reason
  • Esperanto: specife — for a specific purpose or reason
  • Esperanto: specifike — for a specific purpose or reason
  • Finnish: erityisesti — for a specific purpose or reason
  • Finnish: nimenomaisesti — for a specific purpose or reason
  • French: spécifiquement — for a specific purpose or reason
  • Galician: especificamente — for a specific purpose or reason
  • Georgian: კონკრეტულად (ḳonḳreṭulad) — for a specific purpose or reason
  • Georgian: კერძოდ (ḳerʒod) — for a specific purpose or reason
  • Georgian: სპეციალურად (sṗecialurad) — for a specific purpose or reason
  • German: extra — for a specific purpose or reason
  • Hebrew: במיוחד — for a specific purpose or reason
  • Hungarian: kimondottan — for a specific purpose or reason
  • Hungarian: kifejezetten — for a specific purpose or reason
  • Hungarian: külön — for a specific purpose or reason
  • Hungarian: direkt — for a specific purpose or reason
  • Italian: specificamente — for a specific purpose or reason
  • Italian: in modo particolare — for a specific purpose or reason
  • Japanese: 具体的に (gutaitekini) — for a specific purpose or reason
  • Maltese: speċifikament — for a specific purpose or reason
  • Māori: inarā — for a specific purpose or reason
  • Māori: ina koa — for a specific purpose or reason
  • Occitan: especificament — for a specific purpose or reason
  • Polish: specyficznie — for a specific purpose or reason
  • Polish: konkretnie — for a specific purpose or reason
  • Portuguese: especificamente — for a specific purpose or reason
  • Russian: в ча́стности (v částnosti) — for a specific purpose or reason
  • Russian: именно (imenno) — for a specific purpose or reason
  • Scottish Gaelic: a dh'aon ghnothach — for a specific purpose or reason
  • Spanish: específicamente — for a specific purpose or reason
  • Swedish: specifikt — for a specific purpose or reason
  • Turkish: özellikle — for a specific purpose or reason
  • Ukrainian: специфі́чно (specyfíčno) — for a specific purpose or reason
  • Uzbek: ya’ni — for a specific purpose or reason
Real reading context

specifically in complete knowledge articles