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 2022 study, found that medical detection dogs could identify COVID-19 in sweat samples with about 98 percent sensitivity and 92 percent specificity.
—
Alice Gibbs, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 Nov. 2025
Ayman Mohyeldin, the duo urged creators to lean into narratives rooted in their own experiences and cultural specificity rather than replicating Western formulas.
—Essie Assibu, Variety, 27 Nov. 2025
The level of specificity instantly grips me.
—Tom Smyth, Vulture, 26 Nov. 2025
Literature depends on specificity, but not the indiscriminate, relentless specificity of real life.
—Victor J. Blue, Harpers Magazine, 23 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for specificity
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Alice Gibbs, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 Nov. 2025
Ayman Mohyeldin, the duo urged creators to lean into narratives rooted in their own experiences and cultural specificity rather than replicating Western formulas.
—Essie Assibu, Variety, 27 Nov. 2025
The level of specificity instantly grips me.
—Tom Smyth, Vulture, 26 Nov. 2025
Literature depends on specificity, but not the indiscriminate, relentless specificity of real life.
—Victor J. Blue, Harpers Magazine, 23 Nov. 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 5 Dec. 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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