specificity

noun

spec·​i·​fic·​i·​ty ˌspe-sə-ˈfi-sə-tē 

: the quality or condition of being specific: such as

a

: the condition of being peculiar to a particular individual or group of organisms

host specificity of a parasite

b

: the condition of participating in or catalyzing only one or a few chemical reactions

the specificity of an enzyme

Synonyms of specificity

• accuracy
• precision
• attentiveness
• particularity
• explicitness
• preciseness
• carefulness

Examples of specificity in a Sentence

I was impressed by the specificity of her instructions.

the specificity of your description of your medical condition was a bit more than I needed

Recent Examples on the Web

The story’s universality is born from its cultural specificity, as a mid-‘90s tale of a Bay Area outsider, who feels alien both in his social life as well as at home. — Siddhant Adlakha, Variety, 5 Aug. 2026

But somewhere in the show’s creative journey and the blending of British television veterans and scribes from inside Jackson’s Power-verse, a lot of the specificity vanished into the ether. — Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 30 July 2026

The Redditors attack with the vicious specificity that only intimacy can produce. — Hannah Engler Harvey, Longreads, 30 July 2026

Most of the panelists favored leaning into specificity and the details that lovers of the genre latch onto while consuming a book, show or rom-com film. — Dessi Gomez, Deadline, 27 July 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1875, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for specificity

• authenticity
• chromaticity
• concentricity
• domesticity
• eccentricity
• elasticity
• electricity
• iconicity
• metallicity
• multiplicity
• synchronicity
• analyticity

Kids Definition

specificity

noun

spec·​i·​fic·​i·​ty ˌspes-ə-ˈfis-ət-ē 

: the quality or condition of being specific

especially : the condition of taking part in or of acting as a catalyst in only one or a few chemical reactions

the specificity of an enzyme

Medical Definition

specificity

noun

spec·​i·​fic·​i·​ty ˌspes-ə-ˈfis-ət-ē 

plural specificities

: the quality or condition of being specific: as

a

: the condition of being peculiar to a particular individual or group of organisms

host specificity of a parasite

b

: the condition of participating in or catalyzing only one or a few chemical reactions

the specificity of an enzyme