nonspecific C2+ Topic:Cause, Change & Process US /ˌnɑnspɪˈsɪfɪk/ UK /ˌnɒnspɪˈsɪfɪk/ See IPA manual Meanings 1 adj not specific; vague or not limited to a particular cause or type The patient reported nonspecific symptoms that resisted any clear diagnosis. Thesaurus Synonyms 1 adj · not specific; vague or not... generalvaguebroadindefinitegenericunspecific ↔ Opposites specificparticulardefinite Word family Related forms specificspeciesspecify Etymology AI details From non- ('not') + specific, from Late Latin specificus, from Latin species ('kind, form') + facere ('to make'). non Latin species Latin View etymology graph -> Topics Cause, Change & Process Word Formation & Derivatives External links Cambridge Dictionary Wiktionary Google Images # nonspecific **Type:** Word **Level:** C2+ **Part of speech:** adj **IPA (US):** /ˌnɑnspɪˈsɪfɪk/ **IPA (UK):** /ˌnɒnspɪˈsɪfɪk/ ## Meanings 1. not specific; vague or not limited to a particular cause or type ## Examples - The patient reported nonspecific symptoms that resisted any clear diagnosis. ## Synonyms - general - vague - broad - indefinite - generic - unspecific ## Antonyms - specific - particular - definite ## Related Forms - specific - species - specify ## Roots and Affixes - Root: non - Root: species ## Etymology From non- ('not') + specific, from Late Latin specificus, from Latin species ('kind, form') + facere ('to make'). ## AI Etymology Nonspecific comes from non- ('not') + specific, from Late Latin specificus, from Latin species ('kind, form') + facere ('to make'). The prefix supplies the first semantic turn, while the base carries the lexical core of the word. As an adjective, it carries the sense "not specific; vague or not limited to a particular cause or type", with the older formation still helping explain the modern use. Relevant historical forms include Latin non and Latin species. Related words include specific, species, specify. ## Topics - Cause, Change & Process - Word Formation & Derivatives markdown