specimen

noun

spec·​i·​men ˈspe-sə-mən 

ˈspes-mən

1

a

: an individual, item, or part considered typical of a group, class, or whole

b

: a portion or quantity of material for use in testing, examination, or study

a urine specimen

2

a

: something that obviously belongs to a particular category but is noticed by reason of an individual distinguishing characteristic

b

: person, individual

he's a tough specimen

3

: a plant grown for exhibition or in the open to display its full development

specimen trees

Synonyms

• example
• sample

Choose the Right Synonym for specimen

instance, case, illustration, example, sample, specimen mean something that exhibits distinguishing characteristics in its category.

instance applies to any individual person, act, or thing that may be offered to illustrate or explain.

an instance of history repeating itself

case is used to direct attention to a real or assumed occurrence or situation that is to be considered, studied, or dealt with.

a case of mistaken identity

illustration applies to an instance offered as a means of clarifying or illuminating a general statement.

a telling illustration of Murphy's Law

example applies to a typical, representative, or illustrative instance or case.

a typical example of bureaucratic waste

sample implies a part or unit taken at random from a larger whole and so presumed to be typical of its qualities.

show us a sample of your work

specimen applies to any example or sample whether representative or merely existent and available.

one of the finest specimens of the jeweler's art

Examples of specimen in a Sentence

The church is a magnificent specimen of baroque architecture.

Her dance partner is a superb physical specimen.

Recent Examples on the Web

One is the collision of the research vessel Maginot into humanity’s home planet, exposing a menagerie of extraterrestrial specimens — not just Xenomorphs! — to billions of potential hosts. —Alison Herman, Variety, 5 Aug. 2025

Most of the specimens came from museum collections, including Museums Victoria’s Research Institute. —Monica Cull, Discover Magazine, 21 July 2025

After a mandate by the Department of Health and Human Services and the Department of Government Efficiency to slash contract spending by more than a third, the cancer institute is cutting contracts to maintain precious biological specimens used in their research, according to three scientists. —Rachana Pradhan, CNN Money, 8 July 2025

Taken from different depths, the specimens were collected on 332 research voyages and acquired from 48 natural history museums, making the study the most comprehensive assessment of brittle star DNA to date. —Sam Walters, Discover Magazine, 24 July 2025

Word History

Etymology

Latin, from specere to look at, look — more at spy

First Known Use

1610, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing specimen

• type specimen

Rhymes for specimen

• jessamine

Kids Definition

specimen

noun

spec·​i·​men ˈspes-(ə-)mən 

1

: a part or a single thing that shows what the whole thing or group is like : sample

2

: a portion of material for use in testing or examination

a blood specimen

3

: person sense 1, individual

he's a tough specimen

Medical Definition

specimen

noun

spec·​i·​men ˈspes-(ə-)mən 

1

: an individual, item, or part typical of a group, class, or whole

2

: a portion or quantity of material for use in testing, examination, or study

a urine specimen