specimen

Synonym Chooser

How is the word specimen distinct from other similar nouns?

Some common synonyms of specimen are case, example, illustration, instance, and sample. While all these words mean "something that exhibits distinguishing characteristics in its category," specimen applies to any example or sample whether representative or merely existent and available.

one of the finest specimens of the jeweler's art

When could case be used to replace specimen?

While in some cases nearly identical to specimen, 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

When would example be a good substitute for specimen?

The words example and specimen can be used in similar contexts, but example applies to a typical, representative, or illustrative instance or case.

a typical example of bureaucratic waste

In what contexts can illustration take the place of specimen?

In some situations, the words illustration and specimen are roughly equivalent. However, illustration applies to an instance offered as a means of clarifying or illuminating a general statement.

a telling illustration of Murphy's Law

When can instance be used instead of specimen?

The meanings of instance and specimen largely overlap; however, instance applies to any individual person, act, or thing that may be offered to illustrate or explain.

an instance of history repeating itself

Where would sample be a reasonable alternative to specimen?

Although the words sample and specimen have much in common, 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

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 specimen In fact, more than half of the specimens used in this study are held in a number of natural history museums around the world. Grrlscientist, Forbes.com, 28 Apr. 2025 The specimens represented a range of dietary ecologies, from strict carnivores to obligate herbivores, and a wide variety of skull shapes. Paul Smaglik, Discover Magazine, 16 Apr. 2025 To sort it out, researchers took a closer look at the museum specimens, tested their DNA, compared photos of the live snakes and reread their notes from the field, the study said. Aspen Pflughoeft, Miami Herald, 3 Apr. 2025 Bizarrely, though, his team couldn’t find any more specimens. Marta Zaraska, Smithsonian Magazine, 1 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for specimen
Recent Examples of Synonyms for specimen
Noun
  • The Clinic notes that a person is more likely to develop alopecia if there is a family history of the condition or if family members have other autoimmune diseases like lupus or thyroid disease.
    Toria Sheffield, People.com, 10 May 2025
  • Joshua Smellie, 34, of Hartford, has been arrested and is charged with first-degree assault, criminal possession of a firearm, criminal use of a firearm, risk of injury, first-degree reckless endangerment, and third-degree assault on an elderly person, according to the Hartford Police Department.
    Stephen Underwood, Hartford Courant, 10 May 2025
Noun
  • For example, staff shortages at the National Weather Service have resulted in reduced or halted daily weather balloon launches, changed schedules for some forecast advisories and fewer social media posts about weather conditions.
    Dinah Voyles Pulver, USA Today, 14 May 2025
  • Goldman Sachs, for example, cut back its 12-month recession forecast to 35% from 45% following the tentative deal with Beijing.
    Darla Mercado, CFP®, CNBC, 13 May 2025
Noun
  • Hikers in New York state have found the remains of a Canadian man who was missing for five months in the Adirondack Mountains, officials say.
    Saleen Martin, USA Today, 14 May 2025
  • Still: There’s something a little nasty about using a man’s long-ago loyalty oath as an excuse to simply kill him for safety, especially when the whole operation is burned anyway, yes?
    Jesse Hassenger, Vulture, 14 May 2025
Noun
  • There were not enough handwriting samples of John and Frank to make a comparison, and the FBI concluded the card was probably a hoax inspired by the intense and worldwide news coverage.
    Andy Rose, CNN Money, 11 May 2025
  • The commercial features Fox receiving a sample of the Lemme Play gummies and calling up Kardashian Barker on her retro phone to inquire after the gift.
    Julia Teti, Footwear News, 10 May 2025
Noun
  • When the politician begins to speak of evacuation plans the guy immediately shouts him down.
    Lauren Wissot, IndieWire, 21 May 2025
  • Other impact guys include USC RB Quinten Joyner and Miami (Ohio) WR Reggie Virgil. 20.
    Stewart Mandel, New York Times, 21 May 2025
Noun
  • An effort to extend the life of the B61 nuclear bomb also faced significant delays and saw costs more than double – to the tune of an additional $4 billion.
    Davis Winkie, USA Today, 19 May 2025
  • Seeing any woman, particularly a Black woman, establish herself as independently wealthy without the help of a spouse or parent is admirable and reflects an urge in younger generations to live a life that wasn’t as accessible to those who came before us.
    Ile-Ife Okantah, Vulture, 19 May 2025
Noun
  • They are set upon by one of Eudoxia’s five sons and his warband of mutant creatures – half-man, half-animal abominations created by the former Empress as part of her many diabolical experiments.
    Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 17 May 2025
  • Danielle Dufault/Royal Ontario Museum Paleontologists have discovered a three-eyed creature with a pencil sharpener-like mouth that roamed the sea for prey more than 500 million years ago.
    Alana Wise, NPR, 17 May 2025
Noun
  • These individuals often wrestled with whether to call off the wedding, all while imagining how life might look both with and without their current partner.
    Alice Gibbs, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 May 2025
  • Food is presented as a pathway to healing, meaning not only the health of individuals but also spiritually revitalizing First Nations people by reconnecting them with their roots.
    Katie Rife, EW.com, 11 May 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Specimen.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/specimen. Accessed 24 May. 2025.

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