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 The species was first identified by Swedish zoologist Einar Lönnberg in 1898, based on specimens that had been collected during an earlier expedition to Tierra del Fuego, an archipelago off the southern tip of South America, according to the World Register of Deep-Sea Species. Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 11 June 2025 With over 35,000 specimens, California has the second-highest black bear population in the whole country, following Alaska, which has 100,000. Maria Azzurra Volpe, MSNBC Newsweek, 6 June 2025 Known for its high yield and hearty disposition, the vegetable will grow enormous (blue ribbon at the county fair energy) and plentiful specimens if left on the vine. Kendra Vaculin, Bon Appetit Magazine, 30 May 2025 Among the project’s many surprises, three specimens of possible flint from Chalosse have been tentatively identified. The Editors, JSTOR Daily, 5 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for specimen
Recent Examples of Synonyms for specimen
Noun
  • The foundation said there are opportunities to use AI to tell those stories through animation, for example.
    Wendy Lee, Los Angeles Times, 30 June 2025
  • For example, in many aerospace programs, each Form 3 submission contains 80 to 150 individual specifications on average, ranging from dimensions to materials, notes and finish requirements.
    Prashant Kondle, Forbes.com, 30 June 2025
Noun
  • In total, 22 children and one elderly person have been treated and 10 of the patients were still hospitalized as of Wednesday, according to officials in the Hauts-de-France region.
    Deirdre Bardolf, FOXNews.com, 27 June 2025
  • Winners can pick up their claim forms in person at more than 23,000 California Lottery retail partners, but are also allowed to fill out a form online.
    Angel Saunders, People.com, 27 June 2025
Noun
  • Its assignment is to handle both a Mars Sample Return mission to return core samples of Mars to Earth, as well as future human Mars missions.
    Leonard David, Space.com, 29 June 2025
  • After it is analyzed for isotopes, the blood sample will give her an even more recent snapshot of what the bird has been eating.
    Madeline Bodin, Smithsonian Magazine, 27 June 2025
Noun
  • Six men were inside a 2018 GMC Sierra pickup truck at the time of the shooting.
    Racquel Bazos, Baltimore Sun, 1 July 2025
  • The anonymous eight men and four women on the panel got the case at 11:30 a.m. after hearing a two-hour instruction on the law from Manhattan Federal Judge Arun Subramanian and deliberated through lunch.
    Molly Crane-Newman, New York Daily News, 30 June 2025
Noun
  • Usually, all these guys are practicing before the set in the evening.
    Andy Greene, Rolling Stone, 26 June 2025
  • While the fan messages did make the guys laugh, a lot of it was thanks to their ribbing of each other and themselves.
    Anna Chan, Billboard, 26 June 2025
Noun
  • Amid the threats on his life, the 86-year-old Khamenei, who has led Iran since 1989, is sheltering in a bunker and has even named potential successors in the event of his death, according to the New York Times.
    Chad de Guzman, Time, 23 June 2025
  • More pre-authorization controls spending and premiums but makes patients' lives harder; less pre-authorization will raise premiums while easing the burden for some patients.
    Jasmine Laws, MSNBC Newsweek, 23 June 2025
Noun
  • Pollinators Matter As National Pollinator Week continues, embracing trends like pollinator pots, promoted by TikTok creators and supported by organizations like Bee Cups, offers an easy and meaningful way to help these crucial creatures thrive.
    Elizabeth Fogarty, Better Homes & Gardens, 21 June 2025
  • These creatures are all instinct: hunt, kill, eat, and, in one of the film’s biggest twists, reproduce.
    Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 20 June 2025
Noun
  • Furthermore, decades of secondary math teacher shortages means that many positions have been filled by individuals teaching on substandard credentials who have inadequate preparation in math or pedagogy or both.
    Linda Darling-Hammond, Forbes.com, 28 June 2025
  • These are individuals who are there for the people, not for themselves.
    Audrey Conklin, FOXNews.com, 28 June 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Specimen.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/specimen. Accessed 4 Jul. 2025.

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