specifying

verb

present participle of specify
1
as in defining
to give the rules about (something) clearly and exactly the document specifies precisely how you may use the information it contains

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance
2
as in mentioning
to make reference to or speak about briefly but specifically police reports didn't specify the model of car the robbers were driving

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of specifying Salgado Araujo was living in the US without legal permission, ICE said, without specifying whether the agents had been looking for him. — Dalia Faheid, CNN Money, 9 July 2026 The White Pine has multiple options available, including specifying its size and color palette. — Adam Williams july 07, New Atlas, 7 July 2026 If the next wave of enterprise value comes from specifying work with precision, the people who understand the work need to be much closer to the center of enterprise design. — Sanjay Srivastava, Forbes.com, 7 July 2026 More than 12,000 people have been injured, Rodríguez said, without specifying how many remain missing. — Anniek Bao, CNBC, 3 July 2026 However, Polestar will continue supporting US drivers of its EVs without specifying for how long. — Rob Pegoraro, PC Magazine, 26 June 2026 On June 11, the Pima County Sheriff’s Department released a statement specifying that Mexican authorities had not contacted them about the tip or the search efforts, but saying the investigation was still ongoing. — Lizzie Lanuza, StyleCaster, 17 June 2026 Its Senate sponsor, Chicago Democrat Ram Villivalam, acknowledged more work was needed without specifying what stalled the bill. — Jack O'Connor, Chicago Tribune, 6 June 2026 Calfee tandems are custom-built, with consumers specifying nearly all components, at an average price of $20k. — Mark Dent, HubSpot, 1 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for specifying
  1. defining
  2. mentioning
  3. prescribing
  4. citing
  5. noticing
  6. indicating
  7. noting
  8. quoting
Verb
  • French Renaissance design One of the project’s defining characteristics is using French Renaissance architecture, planning documents show.
    — Kendrick Calfee, Kansas City Star, 15 July 2026
  • Software is increasingly defining the battlefield, according to Meier.
    — Elsa Ohlen, CNBC, 15 July 2026
Definition of defining
Verb
  • This is without even mentioning Désiré Doué and Rayan Cherki, both of whom would start for essentially any other nation at the 2026 World Cup.
    — Graham Ruthven, New York Times, 4 July 2026
  • Trump is increasingly talking about his projects, mentioning at least one 79% of the days in June, according to an analysis from The Washington Post.
    — Shelby Talcott, semafor.com, 3 July 2026
Definition of mentioning
Verb
  • But, if the FDA ultimately reclassifies these peptide therapies so they can be compounded, Kesselheim says patients will have no trouble finding doctors who are comfortable prescribing them for all sorts of conditions.
    — Will Stone, NPR, 8 July 2026
  • Patients will first need prior authorization -- prescribing clinicians will submit documentation proving the patient meets strict body mass index (BMI) and health condition requirements.
    — Sony Salzman, ABC News, 1 July 2026
Definition of prescribing
Verb
  • Midtown Sundries’ in Cornelius closed in 2010 after 12 years in business, citing declining sales and financial troubles involving its landlord, WCNC reported.
    — Evan Moore July 17, Charlotte Observer, 17 July 2026
  • Concurrently, China implemented strict regulations on AI companion chatbots, forbidding emotional reliance and virtual relationships with minors, citing demographic concerns.
    — Jason Snyder, Forbes.com, 17 July 2026
Definition of citing
Verb
  • The classic button-up is a nondescript garment, so you’d be forgiven for not noticing, but women’s shirting has undergone a seismic shift.
    — Joan Kennedy, Vogue, 17 July 2026
  • Investigators identified Gavrilys and four other suspects after noticing a pattern in the burglaries.
    — Kendrick Calfee, Kansas City Star, 17 July 2026
Definition of noticing
Verb
  • But key voters in Pennsylvania have mixed views on whether this is a big deal or not, indicating a level of cynicism about many in the political class.
    — Ashley Lopez, NPR, 16 July 2026
  • Executives also pointed to lower effective pricing, indicating the company increased promotional activity as consumers became more price sensitive.
    — Brandon Gomez, CNBC, 16 July 2026
Definition of indicating
Verb
  • Judge Eichenholtz responded by finding jurors could disagree with that explanation, noting the photographic evidence of other people, who appear to have been White, entering the ballpark wearing similar MAGA clothing.
    — Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 13 July 2026
  • Huang said the Bangkok fire may resemble the fire in Switzerland, noting that such venues tend to have large amounts of flammable soundproofing materials and overcrowded conditions which contribute to the high number of casualties.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 13 July 2026
Definition of noting
Verb
  • The story also referenced a story in El Nuevo Día, the largest circulating newspaper in Puerto Rico, quoting Díaz.
    — Liana Handler, Los Angeles Times, 5 July 2026
  • More than 30 countries have officially requested participation, Tasnim News Agency said this week, quoting Ali Akbar Poorjamshidian of the IRGC.
    — Emma Graham, CNBC, 4 July 2026
Definition of quoting

Browse Nearby Words

specify
specifying
specimen
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Specifying.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/specifying. Accessed 19 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on specifying

Nglish: Translation of specifying for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

The Longest Long Words List

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

The Words of the Week - Jul 17
See More

Popular

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
child-detective
Spot the Misspelled Word July 2026 Those little red underlines can't help you now...
See All