Main Entry:

¹spe·cif·ic

Pronunciation:

\spi-ˈsi-fik\

Function:

adjective

Etymology:

Late Latin specificus, from Latin species

Date:

circa 1631

1 a: constituting or falling into a specifiable category b: sharing or being those properties of something that allow it to be referred to a particular category2 a: restricted to a particular individual, situation, relation, or effect <a disease specific to horses> b: exerting a distinctive influence (as on a body part or a disease) <specific antibodies>3: free from ambiguity : accurate <a specific statement of faith>4: of, relating to, or constituting a species and especially a biological species5 a: being any of various arbitrary physical constants and especially one relating a quantitative attribute to unit mass, volume, or area b: imposed at a fixed rate per unit (as of weight or count) <specific import duties> — compare ad valorem

synonyms see special, explicit

— spe·cif·i·cal·ly \-fi-k(ə-)lē\ adverb