specify

play

verb spec·i·fy \ ˈspe-sə-ˌfī \

Definition of specify

specified; specifying

transitive verb

1 :to name or state explicitly or in detail

2 :to include as an item in a specification

—

specifiable

play \ˌspe-sə-ˈfī-ə-bəl\ adjective

—

specifier

play \ˈspe-sə-ˌfī(-ə)r\ noun

See specify defined for English-language learners

See specify defined for kids

Examples of specify in a Sentence

Can you specify the cause of the argument?
Specify the color and quantity when you order.
He clearly specified California wine.
The instructions do not specify what kind of screws to use.
All subscriptions are for one year unless otherwise specified.
At the specified time, we rang the bell.
She agreed to the terms specified in the contract.

Recent Examples of specify from the Web

A cause was not specified, but Mr. Thomas had been battling cancer.

— steve marble, Washington Post, "Jay Thomas, TV actor on ‘Cheers,’ ‘Murphy Brown’ and ‘Ray Donovan,’ dies at 69," 25 Aug. 2017
First, to have social media accounts, companies such as Twitter and Facebook specify that a child must be at least 13.

— anna webb, idahostatesman, "A report says Idaho is the No. 1 cyberbullying state. Here’s what you should know.," 24 Aug. 2017
Police did not specify the extent of Belcher or Noble's injuries.

— thomas novelly, The Courier-Journal, "Car crashes into eclipse watchers killing one, injuring another in Eastern Kentucky," 22 Aug. 2017
The missile is smart enough to sort through the ships of an enemy task force, identify its target, then strike the target at a precise point specified by mission planners.

— kyle mizokami, Popular Mechanics, "The B-1 Bomber Has a New Mission," 22 Aug. 2017
Es Satty preached first at the smaller space and eventually lost his job in late 2015 for reasons that the president, Ali Yassine, did not specify.

— Bloomberg.com, "Spanish Town Struggles to Reconcile Locals as Extremist Cell," 20 Aug. 2017
And with the Geneva Convention specifying that officers could not be put to work in the fields, or anywhere else for that matter, there were undoubtedly many escape plans made.

— jamie pringle and peter doyle, Smithsonian, "This Newly Excavated Underground Tunnel Reveals How 83 German Officers Escaped a World War II Prison Camp," 11 Aug. 2017
Putin’s statement on Sunday confirmed that order and specified the number of diplomats who will be affected.

— chas danner, Daily Intelligencer, "Putin Orders Hundreds of U.S. Diplomats to Leave Russia," 30 July 2017
Looy in the statement did not specify how the organization would comply.

— scott wartman, Cincinnati.com, "Kentucky stops tax incentives for Ark Encounter," 21 July 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'specify.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of specify

Middle English specifien, from Anglo-French specifier, from Late Latin specificare, from specificus

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First Known Use: 14th century

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specify Synonyms

Synonyms

define, lay down, prescribe

Related Words

decree, dictate, ordain; assign, direct, fix, set, settle; arrange, order; choose, select; adjure, bid, charge, command, enjoin, instruct, tell; conduct, control, govern, lead, manage; coerce, compel, constrain, force; obligate, oblige, require

Near Antonyms

disregard, forget, ignore, neglect, overlook, overpass, pass over, slight

SPECIFY Defined for English Language Learners

specify

play

verb

Definition of specify for English Language Learners

: to name or mention (someone or something) exactly and clearly : to be specific about (something)

SPECIFY Defined for Kids

specify

play

verb spec·i·fy \ ˈspe-sə-ˌfī \

Definition of specify for Students

specified; specifying

1 :to mention or name exactly and clearly

Can you specify the cause of the crash?

2 :to include in a description of work to be done or materials to be used

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Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for specify Spanish Central: Translation of specify Nglish: Translation of specify for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of specify for Arabic speakers

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Definition of specify

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Origin and Etymology of specify

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SPECIFY Defined for English Language Learners

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