Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • adjective Explicitly set forth; definite: synonym: explicit.
  • adjective Clear or detailed in communicating.
  • adjective Limited, distinctive, or unique.
  • adjective Intended for, applying to, or acting on a particular thing.
  • adjective Concerned particularly with the subject specified. Often used in combination.
  • adjective Relating to, characterizing, or distinguishing a species.
  • adjective Designating a disease produced by a particular microorganism or condition.
  • adjective Having a remedial influence or effect on a particular disease.
  • adjective Immunology Having an affinity limited to a particular antibody or antigen.
  • adjective Designating a customs charge levied on merchandise by unit or weight rather than according to value.
  • adjective Designating a commodity rate applicable to the transportation of a single commodity between named points.
  • noun Something particularly fitted to a use or purpose.
  • noun A remedy intended for a particular ailment or disorder.
  • noun A distinguishing quality or attribute.
  • noun Distinct items or details; particulars.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun A definite substance in the serum of an animal that gives rise to a special kind of immunity.
  • That is specified or defined; distinctly named, formulated, or determined; of a special kind or a definite tenor; determinate; explicit: as, a specific sum of money; a specific offer; specific, obligations or duties; a specific aim or pursuit.
  • Pertaining to or accordant with what is specified or determined; relating to or regarding a definite subject; conformable to special occasion or requirement, prescribed terms, or known conditions; having a special use or application.
  • Of or pertaining to a species.
  • Peculiar; special.
  • In law, having a certain or well-defined form or designation; observing a certain form; precise.
  • In medicine, related to special infection, particularly syphilitic infection; produced by some distinct zymotic poison.
  • Synonyms and
  • Particular, etc. See special.
  • noun Something adapted or expected to produce a specific effect; that which is, or is supposed to be, capable of infallibly bringing about a desired result; especially, a remedy which cures, or tends to cure, a certain disease, whatever may be its manifestations, as mercury used as a remedy for syphilis.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • adjective Of or pertaining to a species; characterizing or constituting a species; possessing the peculiar property or properties of a thing which constitute its species, and distinguish it from other things
  • adjective Specifying; definite, or making definite; limited; precise; discriminating.
  • adjective (Med.) Exerting a peculiar influence over any part of the body; preventing or curing disease by a peculiar adaptation, and not on general principles.
  • adjective (Nat. Hist.) a characteristic or characteristics distinguishing one species from every other species of the same genus.
  • adjective (Med.) A disease which is itself uniformly produced by a definite and peculiar poison or organism.
  • adjective (Com.) See under Duty.
  • adjective (Physics) See under Gravity.
  • adjective (Physics) the quantity of heat required to raise the temperature of a body one degree, taking as the unit of measure the quantity required to raise the same weight of water from zero to one degree.
  • adjective (Physics) the effect of a dielectric body in producing static electric induction as compared with that of some other body or bodies referred to as a standard.
  • adjective (Law) a bequest of a particular thing, as of a particular animal or piece of furniture, specified and distinguished from all others.
  • adjective (Nat. Hist.) the name which, appended to the name of the genus, constitutes the distinctive name of the species; -- originally applied by Linnæus to the essential character of the species, or the essential difference. The present specific name he at first called the trivial name.
  • adjective (Law) the peformance of a contract or agreement as decreed by a court of equity.
  • noun (Med.) A specific remedy. See specific, a., 3.
  • noun Anything having peculiar adaption to the purpose to which it is applied.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • adjective explicit or definite
  • adjective sciences Pertaining to a species.
  • adjective taxonomy pertaining to a taxon at the rank of species
  • adjective special, distinctive or unique
  • adjective intended for, or applying to a particular thing

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[Medieval Latin specificus : Latin speciēs, kind, species; see species + Latin -ficus, -fic.]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From Old French specifique, from Late Latin specificus ("specific, particular"), from Latin speciēs ("kind") + faciō ("make").

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Examples

  • The arbiter appears to the undersigned to have viewed the rivers St. John and Restigouche as possessing both a specific and a generic character; that considered _alone_ they were _specific_ ', and the designation in the treaty of "rivers falling into the Atlantic" was inapplicable to them; that considered _In connection with other rivers_ they were _generic_ and were embraced in the terms of the treaty, but that as their connection with other rivers would bring them within a principle which, according to the views taken by him of other parts of the question, was equally realized by both lines, it would be hazardous to allow them any weight in deciding the disputed boundary.

    A Compilation of the Messages and Papers of the Presidents Volume 3, part 2: Martin Van Buren 1878

  • Your referral to instant runoff voting in specific is particularly odd, given that IRV is neither a Democratic nor a Republican issue (with both McCain and Dean strongly supporting it), and is limited in popularity to conservatives or liberals.

    2004 September archive at cvillenews.com 2004

  • Your referral to instant runoff voting in specific is particularly odd, given that IRV is neither a Democratic nor a Republican issue (with both McCain and Dean strongly supporting it), and is limited in popularity to conservatives or liberals.

    Cav. Daily: "Real" Journalism? at cvillenews.com 2004

  • The term specific gas production (Gp, measured in m³ gas/m³ Vd x day) supplements the above expression by defining the digester's biogas output. pH/volatile acids

    5. Biogas technique 1989

  • We are now prepared to ask whether (a) the differences between angels are always specific and never individual differences, or (b) both specific and individual differences; and (c) if specific, in which sense of the term specific—the metaphysical or the biological sense.

    The Angels and Us Mortimer J. Adler 1982

  • Bearing in mind that for such substances the term specific resistance has no very definite meaning, M. Bouty considers it is not less than 3.19 x 1028 E.M. units at ordinary temperatures.

    On Laboratory Arts Richard Threlfall

  • The term specific is used here in its ordinary sense, without raising the question of the propriety of its application to these or other remedies.

    Medical Essays, 1842-1882 Oliver Wendell Holmes 1851

  • The term specific is used here in its ordinary sense, without raising the question of the propriety of its application to these or other remedies.

    Complete Project Gutenberg Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr. Works Oliver Wendell Holmes 1851

  • "Although deals are still struck on a name specific basis, there are definitely signs that lending restrictions are being lifted and a wider spectrum of names being consider," he said.

    unknown title 2012

  • Record Collector gets a look-in every now and again - I'm a sucker for the label specific things they do; "Great Vertigo / Island / Harvest collectables", that sort of thing.

    Word Magazine - Comments 2009

Comments

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  • Be more or less specific.

    January 25, 2007