Specific
Definition, Meaning & Examples
Pronunciation /spɪˈsɪf.ɪk/ · Part of speech adjective
Quick meaning: Specific is an adjective meaning Explicit or definite.
Meaning
Explicit or definite.
More Meanings
- (bioscience, taxonomy) Pertaining to a species, as a taxon or taxa at the rank of species.
- (sometimes in combination) Special, distinctive or unique.
- intended for, or applying to, a particular thing.
- Serving to identify a particular thing (often a disease or condition), with little risk of mistaking something else for it.
- Being a remedy for a particular disease on a deeper level, rather than just masking the symptoms
- (immunology) Limited to a particular antibody or antigen.
- (physics) Of a value divided by mass (e.g. specific orbital energy).
Example Sentences
Holonyms: generic, familial
Quinine is a specific medicine in cases of malaria.
Meronyms: infrasubspecific, infraspecific, subspecific
a highly specific test specific and nonspecific symptoms
Word Forms
- specifick
- specifics
Synonyms for specific
Depending on context, synonyms include express, monosemous, unambiguous, singular, peculiar, concrete.
Antonyms for specific
Common opposites include unspecific, nonspecific, broad, general, generic, universal.
Related Words
Related dictionary entries include specified, special, particular, circumstantial, unique, limited.
Related Dictionary Tools
Practice “specific” in a Crossword
Recall this definition from a clue, use crossing letters, and review the word again when you solve it.
Sources & Attribution
FreeDictionaryAPI.com / Wiktionary · Original source · CC BY-SA 4.0
Dictionary data is provided by FreeDictionaryAPI.com and sourced from Wiktionary under its stated license.