spec

noun \ ˈspek \

|Updated on: 19 Jun 2018

Definition of spec

1 : specification —usually used in plural; also : a single quantity (such as a dimension or a measure of performance) describing a product especially as part of a specification

2 : speculation

built the house on spec

See spec defined for English-language learners

See spec defined for kids

Examples of spec in a Sentence

parts built according to spec

Recent Examples of spec from the Web

FreeSync discrepancies aside, the monitor also has some pretty good gaming specs, including a 5 millisecond response time and a 75Hz refresh rate.

— ian paul, PCWorld, "Get ready for all the new E3 games with a 29-inch LG UltraWide display for less than $200," 11 June 2018
The Aurora City Council is set to vote on plans for a spec warehouse in the Orchard Road corridor on the far West Side.

— steve lord, Aurora Beacon-News, "Aurora council could clear way for warehouse," 8 June 2018
Germany, 1974 World Cup Album specs: 48-page album, 400 stickers.

— SI.com, "The Magic, Global Craze and Tradition of Panini's World Cup Sticker Albums," 6 June 2018
Strangely, the celebrity closest to these shades at the moment is Britain’s Princess Anne, who turned heads at the Chelsea Flower Show in racer-style specs.

— steff yotka, Vogue, "Adam Selman and Le Specs Are Here to Change the Shape of Your Sunglasses—Again," 5 June 2018
Other specs include a transmission supplied by Ferrari NV, an aluminum frame and the option of a coupe or open-top version.

— Fortune, "Maserati: 'It May Look Like We Are Targeting Tesla: We Are'," 1 June 2018
Lay and Sapienza can — and do — talk for hours about the building’s technical specs.

— atossa araxia abrahamian, Longreads, "Tax-Free Storage Wars," 29 May 2018
The nearly 8,000-square-foot spec home was built by Rona Milbauer's Elron Homes in Royden Oaks, a neighborhood near River Oaks.

— diane cowen, Houston Chronicle, "Builder-designer show house raises money for Houston PetSet," 31 May 2018
O'Byrne said spec offices hadn't been built in downtown since the early 1990s.

— allison kite, kansascity, "Kansas City Club conversion, first high-end offices ‘in many years’ planned downtown," 31 May 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'spec.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of spec

by alteration

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1926

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

spec

verb

Definition of spec

specced or spec'd play \ˈspekt\; speccing

transitive verb

: to write specifications for

Recent Examples of spec from the Web

In fact, the 195.9-inch long 2019 ES specs out closer to the 1990 Lexus LS 400 flagship than the first ES 250.

— jeff yip, Houston Chronicle, "Posher, sleeker 2019 Lexus ES will have Apple CarPlay, Amazon Alexa," 16 June 2018
The idea is meant to speed up the development process compared to the old model, in which a contractor builds the item to spec only after the design has been proven during testing.

— joe pappalardo, Popular Mechanics, "Why the Pentagon Doesn't Know How Much Anything Costs," 4 June 2018
Dedicated track rats may want to spec the C’s $8950 carbon-ceramic brakes and a set of grippier ultra-performance tires for $600, and hedonists may be interested in fancier paint, interior-trim upgrades, or one of AMG’s extra styling packages.

— mike sutton, Car and Driver, "2018 Mercedes-AMG GT C / GT C Roadster / GT R," 7 Mar. 2018
For details on features, pricing or to spec out your own, go to http://bit.ly/2019Ram1500 Going long Among the most significant changes in the 2019 Ram 1500 is the four-inch extension of crew cabs.

— jeff yip, Houston Chronicle, "Ram scores first strike as roomier, cushier all-new 2019 Ram 1500 begins shipping," 26 Mar. 2018
Buyers can no longer spec the slightly less powerful 333-hp version of this engine, and the rest of the A6’s powertrain carries over without any changes.

— michael simari, Car and Driver, "2018 Audi A6," 22 Mar. 2018