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
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
Thompson is on cruise control — enjoying every no-fucks line, even in redundancy, but Zoë lacks the specificity and command seen in Herron’s better characters.
—
Ben Travers, IndieWire, 29 Oct. 2025
The oddball specificity of this detail tickles me.
—Sophie Brookover, Vulture, 18 Oct. 2025
Audiences started tuning their ears to specificity.
—Remy Blumenfeld, HollywoodReporter, 13 Oct. 2025
That means explaining, with specificity, how working from home enables better focus, faster execution, or higher-quality output—and how these benefits help the team or organization perform better overall.
—Jason Ma, Fortune, 12 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for specificity
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Ben Travers, IndieWire, 29 Oct. 2025
The oddball specificity of this detail tickles me.
—Sophie Brookover, Vulture, 18 Oct. 2025
Audiences started tuning their ears to specificity.
—Remy Blumenfeld, HollywoodReporter, 13 Oct. 2025
That means explaining, with specificity, how working from home enables better focus, faster execution, or higher-quality output—and how these benefits help the team or organization perform better overall.
—Jason Ma, Fortune, 12 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for specificity
Cite this Entry
“Specificity.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/specificity. Accessed 30 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationKids 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
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