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

Undeterred, the team simplified things and fed AlphaFold only the DNA, RNA, and Cas9 protein, since the latter is the primary factor determining its sequence specificity. — ArsTechnica, 24 July 2026

The specificity of that link — with an actual date — is reason for pause, but also, planning for a potentially huge event like this happens all the time, across all mediums. — Joe Vardon, New York Times, 23 July 2026

Across town, Café Corazón, a seven-time winner of Kansas City’s best small business award, scaled for cultural specificity instead of volume. — Catherina Gioino, Fortune, 19 July 2026

Instead of succumbing to tropey writing, Ellis-Taylor fights hard for specificity. — Judy Berman, Time, 15 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