specificity

US: /ˌspɛsəˈfɪsɪti/ ,(spes′ə fis′i tē)

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026

spec•i•fic•i•ty  (spes′ə fis′i tē), n. 

1. Biochemistry the quality or state of being specific.
2. Biochemistry, Immunology, Drugs, Immunology the selective attachment or influence of one substance on another, as an antibiotic and its target organism or an antibody and its specific antigen.

• specific + -ity 1875–80

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026

spe•cif•ic /spɪˈsɪfɪk/   adj. 

1. having a special purpose or reference; explicit or definite:
   a specific use for a tool.
2. specified, precise, or particular;
   exact:
   What is the specific time the train will arrive?
3. proper to only certain persons or things:
   [be + ~ + to + object] This symptom is specific to those who have high blood pressure.

n. [countable]

4. something specific, as a statement or detail:
   Those are the general principles; now let's look at the specifics and how they apply to each of us.

spe•cif•i•cal•ly, adv. 
spec•i•fic•i•ty /ˌspɛsəˈfɪsɪti/  n. [uncountable] See -spec-.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026

spe•cif•ic  (spi sif′ik), adj. 

1. having a special application, bearing, or reference;
   specifying, explicit, or definite:
   to state one's specific purpose.
2. specified, precise, or particular:
   a specific sum of money.
3. peculiar or proper to somebody or something, as qualities, characteristics, effects, etc.:
   His specific problems got him into trouble.
4. of a special or particular kind.
5. concerned specifically with the item or subject named (used in combination):
   The Secretary addressed himself to crop-specific problems.
6. Biology of or pertaining to a species:
   specific characters.
7. Medicine
   • (of a disease) produced by a special cause or infection.
   • (of a remedy) having special effect in the prevention or cure of a certain disease.
8. Immunology (of an antibody or antigen) having a particular effect on only one antibody or antigen or affecting it in only one way.
9. Business [Com.] noting customs or duties levied in fixed amounts per unit, as number, weight, or volume.
10. Physics
    • Physics designating a physical constant that, for a particular substance, is expressed as the ratio of the quantity in the substance to the quantity in an equal volume of a standard substance, as water or air.
    • Physics designating a physical constant that expresses a property or effect as a quantity per unit length, area, volume, or mass.

n. 

11. something specific, as a statement, quality, detail, etc.
12. Medicine a specific remedy:
    There is no specific for the common cold.

• Medieval Latin specificus, equivalent. to Latin speci(ēs) species + -ficus -fic
• 1625–35

spe•cif′i•cal•ly, adv. 
Synonyms

• 1. See special. 

Antonyms

• 2. vague.