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
Every use case must be understood, every edge case respected and built with specificity.
—
Divyaditya Shrivastava, Forbes.com, 3 Sep. 2025
There is usually a tradeoff between the sensitivity and specificity of a screening test.
—Cory Franklin, Chicago Tribune, 1 Sep. 2025
Emphasizing regional specificity The Indian Restaurant Association of America identified hyper-regional flavors as one of its top 2025 Indian restaurant trends as chefs dig into the hundreds of local cuisines that dot the subcontinent.
—Laya Neelakandan, CNBC, 30 Aug. 2025
However, the specificity of what’s in demand is what makes the trend stand out again.
—Angela Velasquez, Sourcing Journal, 29 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for specificity
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Divyaditya Shrivastava, Forbes.com, 3 Sep. 2025
There is usually a tradeoff between the sensitivity and specificity of a screening test.
—Cory Franklin, Chicago Tribune, 1 Sep. 2025
Emphasizing regional specificity The Indian Restaurant Association of America identified hyper-regional flavors as one of its top 2025 Indian restaurant trends as chefs dig into the hundreds of local cuisines that dot the subcontinent.
—Laya Neelakandan, CNBC, 30 Aug. 2025
However, the specificity of what’s in demand is what makes the trend stand out again.
—Angela Velasquez, Sourcing Journal, 29 Aug. 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 8 Sep. 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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