spec

noun \ ˈspek \

|Updated on: 13 Aug 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

The 15-inch MacBook Pro is estimated to be a whopping 70 percent faster than the previous model, all features and specs combined.

— lauren goode, WIRED, "Apple's MacBook Pros Get Faster Chips, New Keyboards (Kinda)," 12 July 2018
H&R Block built a new headquarters downtown, but Flisram said offices haven't been built on spec in years.

— allison kite, kansascity, "Kansas City Club conversion, first high-end offices ‘in many years’ planned downtown," 31 May 2018
The new specs will be able to take photos, not just videos, and record higher-quality sound.

— sarah frier, chicagotribune.com, "Snap tries again with Spectacles," 27 Apr. 2018
From there, specs and prices creep up: A Surface Go with 256 gigabytes of storage, 8 gigabytes of RAM, and LTE will cost you more, though Microsoft hasn’t shared how much yet.

— lauren goode, WIRED, "Surface Go Is Microsoft’s Big Bet on a Tiny-Computer Future," 9 July 2018
Unlike many pro models, the Whiteout is fundamentally suited to a recreational player’s all-around game, even erring on the side of control over power (though of course the actual racquets pros use are usually doctored to a player’s custom specs).

— corey seymour, Vogue, "Wimbledon Racquet Style: The New Formality," 2 July 2018
The Aurora City Council recently approved a spec warehouse for the former Orchard 88 business park now owned by Missner Real Estate.

— steve lord, Aurora Beacon-News, "Aurora approves new warehouse, road change," 18 June 2018
More: Why the Samsung Galaxy S9, S9+ are the best Android phones More: Samsung Galaxy S9, S9+ price: how to get the best deal Camera Although the S9 is comparable to an iPhone X in design, its camera specs line up more closely with the iPhone 8.

— brett molina, USA TODAY, "How the Samsung Galaxy S9 stacks up to iPhone X, 8, Pixel," 8 Mar. 2018
And its specs make the Concept One look like a Chevy Bolt: 1,914hp (1.4MW), 1,696ft-lbs (2300Nm), 120kWh of battery, a top speed of 258mph (412km/h), and 0-60mph time of 1.85 seconds.

— jonathan m. gitlin, Ars Technica, "Hypercars from Aston Martin and Rimac stand out at the Geneva Motor Show," 7 Mar. 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

Now, there's an easier way—simply spec your Mustang GT from the factory with the $6,500 Performance Pack 2.

— jonathan m. gitlin, Ars Technica, "We went to drive the new Ford Mustang—but a tornado messed things up," 17 May 2018
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