1
as in men
a member of the human race
he's a particularly handsome specimen
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in examples
one of a group or collection that shows what the whole is like
chose one frog as a good specimen of the breed
Synonyms & Similar Words
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 specimens
Spend some time viewing fossils from this period, checking out the museum's mineral collection, and seeing the paleontology students patiently preserve specimens in the on-site lab.
—
Elizabeth Rhodes, Travel + Leisure, 18 June 2026
Adults could grow over 10-feet-long, but the specimens that Mann and Pardo studied were only a couple of inches long.
—Sarah Durn, Popular Science, 18 June 2026
Since outrage bubbled up in Kenya, some other countries have negotiated shorter terms for sharing data and pandemic specimens, and have inserted additional protections, according to the Public Citizen analysis.
—Sharon Lerner, ProPublica, 17 June 2026
Branstrator said the team is now collecting specimens biweekly at Montreal Pier and monitoring several other locations in the harbor.
—Moná Thomas, PEOPLE, 17 June 2026
North Carolina no longer tracks COVID-19 variant data in specimens collected from patients.
—Eva Flowe
june 17, Charlotte Observer, 17 June 2026
Agave can be grown in pots, although large specimens become very heavy and challenging to lug around.
—Daniel Scott, Better Homes & Gardens, 10 June 2026
Creating temporary labs that can start testing specimens, particularly in neighboring countries.
—Annalisa Merelli, STAT, 9 June 2026
These new microbial findings could open a door to future insights — for Ötzi and other specimens from the distant past.
—Mindy Weisberger, CNN Money, 8 June 2026
Elizabeth Rhodes, Travel + Leisure, 18 June 2026
Adults could grow over 10-feet-long, but the specimens that Mann and Pardo studied were only a couple of inches long.
—Sarah Durn, Popular Science, 18 June 2026
Since outrage bubbled up in Kenya, some other countries have negotiated shorter terms for sharing data and pandemic specimens, and have inserted additional protections, according to the Public Citizen analysis.
—Sharon Lerner, ProPublica, 17 June 2026
Branstrator said the team is now collecting specimens biweekly at Montreal Pier and monitoring several other locations in the harbor.
—Moná Thomas, PEOPLE, 17 June 2026
North Carolina no longer tracks COVID-19 variant data in specimens collected from patients.
—Eva Flowe
june 17, Charlotte Observer, 17 June 2026
Agave can be grown in pots, although large specimens become very heavy and challenging to lug around.
—Daniel Scott, Better Homes & Gardens, 10 June 2026
Creating temporary labs that can start testing specimens, particularly in neighboring countries.
—Annalisa Merelli, STAT, 9 June 2026
These new microbial findings could open a door to future insights — for Ötzi and other specimens from the distant past.
—Mindy Weisberger, CNN Money, 8 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for specimens
Noun
-
Canada has an 8-0 advantage in shots on goal; meanwhile, Qatar is down to 10 men after a red card, the fifth of the tournament so far.—
Andrew Greif,
NBC news,
19 June 2026
-
That's when two men jumped in, and fists started flying.—
Joy Benedict,
CBS News,
19 June 2026
Noun
-
Prosecutors across the state have cited examples of cases where defendants qualified for diversion but went on to commit serious crimes.—
James Queally,
Los Angeles Times,
18 June 2026
-
Those are some of the examples on the state side.—
Sooji Nam,
CBS News,
17 June 2026
Noun
-
They were written by a bunch of guys in powdered wigs and knee socks.—
Britta Miller,
The Washington Examiner,
17 June 2026
-
Your memoir reframed Black Sabbath less as mythology and more as four working-class guys trying to survive life in Birmingham.—
Steve Appleford,
SPIN,
17 June 2026
Noun
-
How did the ghostly choir samples of Philly drill pop up in Stockton goon music?—
Alphonse Pierre,
Pitchfork,
16 June 2026
-
The researchers measured the participants’ vitamin C levels using blood samples and performed MRI scans to calculate the volume of gray matter and white matter in their brains.—
Melissa Rudy,
FOXNews.com,
16 June 2026
Noun
-
What happens in a world where young people are always rendered as creatures of the present, rather than also existing in the past?—
John Warner,
Chicago Tribune,
20 June 2026
-
Coffin co-directed four of those movies and voices every last one of the yellow creatures himself.—
Elsa Keslassy,
Variety,
20 June 2026
Noun
-
The town’s predicament highlights the limits of any ceasefire between Hezbollah and Israel, and the lingering hardship faced by residents whose lives have been upended by years of conflict.—
Tal Shalev,
CNN Money,
23 June 2026
-
The labor of these aging world-builders becomes a blueprint to navigate memory, legacy, and mortality, revealing the divine spirit residing in their daily lives.—
Matt Grobar,
Deadline,
22 June 2026
Noun
-
And as things like broadcast quality and stadium design become more and more homogenised, making every tournament look more and more similar, kit design is more and more important to their visual identity.—
Nick Miller,
New York Times,
17 June 2026
-
Some things — Shar Peis, linen pants, prunes — are just supposed to have wrinkles.—
Brian Moylan,
Vulture,
17 June 2026
Noun
-
Inside Ecole National Republique de Colombie in the Turgeau neighborhood where 1,246 individuals live in squalor, residents uprooted by gangs described lives defined by deepening hunger and increasingly inhumane conditions.—
Jacqueline Charles,
Miami Herald,
17 June 2026
-
Crucially, investigators noted this journal contained a target list of 46 individuals, including politicians and celebrities.—
Bonny Chu,
FOXNews.com,
17 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Specimens.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/specimens. Accessed 24 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
