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
One layer has a specificity that speaks directly to those who are already in the know.
—
Elaine U. Cho
august 5, Literary Hub, 5 Aug. 2025
However, practically, personalized cancer vaccines are more likely to cross the finish line because of the higher specificity and thus less off-target effects.
—Jasmine Laws, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 July 2025
The money was agreed to despite misgivings from several Democrats and some Republicans about the lack of specificity about its purpose and a lack of fiscal oversight.
—Jeffrey Schweers, The Orlando Sentinel, 19 July 2025
The series was filmed in British Columbia, Canada, and all the soaring drone shots of mountain ranges and dense forests can’t make up for the lack of specificity when Untamed is on the ground.
—Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 17 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for specificity
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Elaine U. Cho
august 5, Literary Hub, 5 Aug. 2025
However, practically, personalized cancer vaccines are more likely to cross the finish line because of the higher specificity and thus less off-target effects.
—Jasmine Laws, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 July 2025
The money was agreed to despite misgivings from several Democrats and some Republicans about the lack of specificity about its purpose and a lack of fiscal oversight.
—Jeffrey Schweers, The Orlando Sentinel, 19 July 2025
The series was filmed in British Columbia, Canada, and all the soaring drone shots of mountain ranges and dense forests can’t make up for the lack of specificity when Untamed is on the ground.
—Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 17 July 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 20 Aug. 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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