How to Use specific in a Sentence

specific

1 of 2 adjective
  • She was very specific—you have to use a certain kind of tomato in the sauce.
  • There is a specific word for this kind of feeling.
  • The doctor gave the patient specific instructions on how to care for the wound.
  • We were each given a specific topic to talk about.
  • He gave her a ring—or, to be more specific, he gave her an engagement ring.
  • Is there anything specific you want for dinner?
  • Can you be more specific? What exactly did the policeman say?
  • Was there a specific incident that made all of this come to a head?
    Lydia Wang, Women's Health, 25 May 2023
  • Is there a persona or specific name tied to this record?
    Vulture, 24 May 2023
  • Biden has proposed many of the specific items in the budget before.
    John Cassidy, The New Yorker, 12 Mar. 2024
  • Those who wanted to charge their phones and use wired headphones at the same time had to purchase a specific adapter.
    USA TODAY, 10 Sep. 2023
  • That case could cost Google billions, though a specific amount has yet to be announced.
    Gerrit De Vynck, Washington Post, 6 Feb. 2024
  • There’s a very specific look that makes Brandon Flynn feel his best self.
    Julia Moore, Peoplemag, 8 Nov. 2023
  • Officials did not share a more specific number for the cost of the barrier.
    Aliza Chasan, CBS News, 8 June 2023
  • But remedies for injustice also need to be specific to the harm.
    Nikole Hannah-Jones, New York Times, 13 Mar. 2024
  • In terms of exactly what is shared between Bard and other apps, Google isn’t specific.
    David Nield, Popular Science, 9 Nov. 2023
  • And yet, the library has never received a formal request to remove a specific book from the library.
    Mia Maldonado, Idaho Statesman, 25 Jan. 2024
  • Khosla mostly spoke in a general way, while Christ was more specific.
    Gary Robbins, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 Nov. 2023
  • The specific recipe for each satellite might be different.
    WIRED, 24 Dec. 2023
  • Scheltens said there is no specific timeline at this point for when work on improvements for the pool would begin.
    Chuck Fieldman, Chicago Tribune, 11 May 2023
  • Other snakes that are lethal are restricted to specific areas of the country.
    Kamala Thiagarajan, Smithsonian Magazine, 21 Nov. 2023
  • The court has yet to provide more information about the specific charges the teens are facing or about the way the teens are connected to the shooting incident.
    Katie Moore, Kansas City Star, 25 Mar. 2024
  • Were there any specific moments on that album that inspired you?
    Kyle Denis, Billboard, 25 Mar. 2024
  • Again, there are no specific gifts that fit every dad, so consider his likes and hobbies.
    Amanda Ogle, Southern Living, 16 Oct. 2023
  • For those, look for products which are specific to each category of weed, says Waltz.
    Arricca Elin Sansone, Country Living, 12 July 2023
  • According to Viola, there is no specific time frame to start your walk.
    Audrey Noble, Vogue, 28 Oct. 2023
  • Like all Apple releases, specific details have been kept under wraps ahead of the launch.
    Skyler Caruso, Peoplemag, 11 Sep. 2023
  • The streaming service collects all that data up to a specific date and curates a sort of best-songs-of-the-year playlist for each user based on their listening habits.
    Samantha Chery, Washington Post, 27 Oct. 2023
  • The images appeared to show writings about conducting a school shooting on a specific date.
    Rebecca Cohen, NBC News, 9 Nov. 2023
  • There is actions that are specific actions that are taken.
    Nbc Universal, NBC News, 6 Aug. 2023
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specific

2 of 2 noun
  • The specifics of the case can seem almost beside the point.
    Maggie Haberman, New York Times, 1 Oct. 2023
  • At the time, Biden had not offered any specifics about the threat.
    Siladitya Ray, Forbes, 16 Feb. 2024
  • To the surprise of many, the session was replete with specifics.
    WIRED, 14 Sep. 2023
  • What’s more, some of the pledges lacked specifics on how they would be carried out.
    Byjeremy Kahn, Fortune, 25 July 2023
  • The specifics of the story have long been exploded, of course.
    Adam Gopnik, The New Yorker, 24 Dec. 2023
  • The specifics of when is the best and worst time to travel depend on the day of your departure.
    Melissa Locker, Southern Living, 17 Nov. 2023
  • Tyson did not disclose the financial specifics of the deal.
    Danielle Wiener-Bronner, CNN, 20 Oct. 2023
  • Pamela doesn’t know the specifics of the purchase, and George doesn’t really want to talk about it.
    Frank Shyong, Los Angeles Times, 23 Dec. 2023
  • But the specifics of what could or would be done remain unclear.
    Jeff A. Chamer, Charlotte Observer, 24 Jan. 2024
  • The priest’s remarks did not address the specifics of Ms. Gentili’s life.
    Liam Stack, New York Times, 16 Feb. 2024
  • But so far those specifics have not been released, Ms. Ryan says.
    Ira Porter, The Christian Science Monitor, 5 June 2023
  • Putting aside the specifics of this conflict, what is the humane way to deal with civilians in war zones?
    Isaac Chotiner, The New Yorker, 15 Oct. 2023
  • It could have been argued that there was no need to nitpick about the specifics and that the record alone should have been enough.
    Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 13 Dec. 2023
  • Bank of America wouldn't comment on the specifics of that case.
    Susan Tompor, Detroit Free Press, 4 Apr. 2023
  • But getting back to full form may take up to five months, depending on the specifics of the injury.
    Allie Conti, Field & Stream, 19 Oct. 2023
  • The report provides few specifics about the rationale or timeline of the two-phase project.
    Jaime Moore-Carrillo, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 5 Apr. 2024
  • A lot of questions still remain, but these mainly pertain to the specifics.
    Conor Feehly, Discover Magazine, 11 Oct. 2023
  • The episode doesn’t try to depict all of Hong Kong, let alone the specifics behind the city’s politics and unrest a decade ago.
    Shirley Li, The Atlantic, 16 Feb. 2024
  • The third phase is a large commercial building, and the specifics of that are still being revised.
    Don Stacom, Hartford Courant, 15 Jan. 2024
  • In both, the specifics are left unsaid, but the shape of these fights are vivid, familiar, resonant.
    Jason Zinoman, New York Times, 20 Mar. 2024
  • Miller declined to release specifics about the funding for Walnut Way's project.
    Karl Ebert, Journal Sentinel, 22 Mar. 2024
  • The specifics of nearly every facet of season six of The Crown are being kept close to the chest, including aspects of the wardrobe.
    Brande Victorian, The Hollywood Reporter, 10 Nov. 2023
  • Robbins avoids specifics, but admits things got thorny.
    Brent Lang, Variety, 26 July 2023
  • Snyder said there’s a potential big box store that would anchor the project, but didn’t give specifics.
    Jacob Scholl, The Salt Lake Tribune, 26 Aug. 2023
  • The specifics of the boardroom overthrow attempt remain a mystery.
    Kate Knibbs, WIRED, 28 Nov. 2023
  • The team is awaiting further information on the specifics of the injury.
    The Enquirer, 27 July 2023
  • The extent of the discovery disclosure is unclear, with a gag order on the case and the specifics filed under seal.
    Michael Ruiz, Fox News, 15 Jan. 2024
  • Once the Mattress Is Inside Some specifics may differ from brand to brand, but the general setup process is the same.
    WIRED, 6 Oct. 2023
  • The yard didn’t dive into specifics regarding propulsion, either, but says the yacht will run on diesel.
    Rachel Cormack, Robb Report, 22 Mar. 2024
  • Hartman declined to share specifics about the incident.
    Kevin Collier, NBC News, 25 Apr. 2023

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'specific.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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