clear and exact, referring to one particular person, thing, or detail rather than something general
Can you give me a specific example of what you mean?
Each student had a specific topic to research for the project.
✦ From Latin specificus “of a kind, special,” from species “appearance, kind” + -ficus “making.”
a precise detail or piece of information about something
Before we act, we need the specifics of the budget.
She refused to share any specifics about the surprise party.
✦ Noun use evolved from the adjective in the late 19th century, referring to ‘specific detail’.
a medicine or treatment that works especially well for a particular disease
Penicillin was once considered a specific for pneumonia.
Researchers are searching for a specific that will cure the new virus.
✦ From early 17th-century medical Latin remedium specificum “remedy of a kind.”
used to say that something is meant for one particular person, thing, or purpose and not for others
This course was designed specifically for beginners.
He bought a lightweight camera specifically to record his mountain-climbing adventures.
✦ formed from specific + -ally in the late 17th century to create the adverbial form
used to give exact or detailed information about what you mean
We need to know specifically how much the repairs will cost.
Can you explain specifically what went wrong during the test?
