specific

A2 Topic:Describing Qualities

US /spɪˈsɪf.ɪk/ UK /spɪˈsɪf.ɪk/ See IPA manual

Freq #2933

Meanings

1

adj
Clear and exact; relating to one particular thing rather than things in general.

Can you give me a specific example of what you mean?
2

adj
Belonging to or affecting one particular thing only.

This medicine treats a very specific type of infection.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 adj · clear and exact; relating... express explicit

2 adj · belonging to or affecting... singular

More concrete discrete individualmonosemousparticular peculiar proper unambiguous unique

Opposites

all-purposebroad generalgeneral-purposegeneric grossnon-specificnonspecific overall pandemic universal unspecific

Word family

Forms specifics

Derived forms allospecificantiphosphospecificaspecificbiospecificbispecificcardiospecificchemospecificchirospecificcospecificecospecificenantiospecificethnospecific

Related forms generic

Appears in

Phrases (2)

See all

Etymology

From Old French specifique, from Late Latin specificus (“specific, particular”), from Latin speciēs (“kind”) + -ific.

specifique Old French specificus la-lat speciēs Latin

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Describing Qualities

External links

# specific

**Type:** Word
**Level:** A2
**Part of speech:** adj
**IPA (US):** /spɪˈsɪf.ɪk/
**IPA (UK):** /spɪˈsɪf.ɪk/
**Frequency rank:** 2933

## Meanings
1. Clear and exact; relating to one particular thing rather than things in general.
2. Belonging to or affecting one particular thing only.

## Examples
- Can you give me a specific example of what you mean?
- This medicine treats a very specific type of infection.

## Synonyms
- concrete
- discrete
- explicit
- individual
- monosemous
- particular
- peculiar
- proper
- singular
- unambiguous
- unique

## Antonyms
- all-purpose
- broad
- general
- general-purpose
- generic
- gross
- non-specific
- nonspecific
- overall
- pandemic
- universal
- unspecific

## Derived Forms
- allospecific
- antiphosphospecific
- aspecific
- biospecific
- bispecific
- cardiospecific
- chemospecific
- chirospecific
- cospecific
- ecospecific
- enantiospecific
- ethnospecific

## Related Forms
- generic

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: specifique
- Root: specificus
- Root: speciēs

## Etymology
From Old French specifique, from Late Latin specificus (“specific, particular”), from Latin speciēs (“kind”) + -ific.

## AI Etymology
Specific is from Old French specifique, from Late Latin specificus (“specific, particular”), from Latin speciēs (“kind”) + -ific. Important forms in the word's history include Old French specifique, la-lat specificus, Latin speciēs. In current use it includes senses such as Clear and exact; relating to one particular thing rather than things in general and Belonging to or affecting one particular thing only.

## Topics
- Describing Qualities

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