noun · 6 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
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CMU ARPABET:S P EH2 S IH0 F IH0 K EY1 SH AH0 N
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
noun
Meaning 1
An explicit set of requirements to be satisfied by a material, product, or service.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
Examples
The contractor followed the architect’s specifications.
Each computer is built to the customer’s exact specification.
The product failed to meet the required safety specifications.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
noun
Meaning 2
An act of specifying.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
noun
Meaning 3
a restriction that is insisted upon as a condition for an agreement
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: stipulation
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: restriction, confinement
4
noun
Meaning 4
(patent law) a document drawn up by the applicant for a patent of invention that provides an explicit and detailed description of the nature and use of an invention
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: document, written document, papers
5
noun
Meaning 5
a detailed description of design criteria for a piece of work
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.