SPECIMENS Synonyms: 71 Similar and Opposite Words

specimens

noun

plural of specimen

as in men

a member of the human race he's a particularly handsome specimen

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 Eventually, one junior scientist had the courage to analyze the specimens. — Theresa Gaffney, STAT, 20 Aug. 2026 Prior to the 1830s, the plant specimens curated at private herbariums were few in number. — Candace Barone, Florida Times-Union, 15 Aug. 2026 But the 16 bacteria-infecting viruses described on August 6 in Science were no ordinary specimens. — Elie Dolgin, IEEE Spectrum, 13 Aug. 2026 Some experts argue for keeping the status quo, saying a ban on selling fossils would mean that important specimens would remain undiscovered or be illegally extracted and sold on the black market. — Anne Doran, ARTnews.com, 12 Aug. 2026 The researchers recovered usable DNA from 95 historical specimens spanning nearly 140 years and compared them with modern samples collected in the 2000s, and the results painted a sobering picture. — Melissa Cristina Márquez, Forbes.com, 10 Aug. 2026 Mass carpet roses in foundation plantings for a colorful ground layer or use larger specimens as accents. — Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 9 Aug. 2026 Other evidence includes specimens found inside her home that do not belong to her or anyone close to her, though any updates on this DNA have not been shared publicly. — Anthony Robledo, USA Today, 1 Aug. 2026 Biological specimens Liquid exceptions can be made in the name of science. — Rachel Chang, Condé Nast Traveler, 30 July 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for specimens

Noun

Steinem then went on to become a freelance journalist in New York during the 1960s — when newsrooms were largely run by men and female reporters were typically restricted in the topics they were allowed to cover.

— Juliana Kim, NPR, 3 Sep. 2026
Two men were arrested in connection with the deaths on Wednesday, in a joint operation involving the State of Mexico Prosecutor’s Office, the federal Secretariat of Security and Citizen Protection and the Mexico City Secretariat of Citizen Security.

— Rocío Muñoz-Ledo, CNN Money, 3 Sep. 2026

Definition of men

Noun

Freedom, the Second Amendment, the greatest military in the history of the world, gorgeous nature from coast to coast, cheap domestic light beer and other examples that would take me a month to list.

— David Hookstead OutKick, FOXNews.com, 5 Sep. 2026
But these examples demonstrate what’s both possible and necessary in higher education.

— Sian Leah Beilock, The Atlantic, 5 Sep. 2026

Definition of examples

Noun

There’s a certain level of performance those guys have operated at for a long time and it’s been very successful.

— Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 4 Sep. 2026
Maybe the biggest fourth-wall break was the show following you guys to BravoCon, which is a lot to take in even without the cameras in tow.

— Tom Smyth, Vulture, 4 Sep. 2026

Definition of guys

Noun

Identical radiation, different damage Researchers from the University of Science and Technology Beijing and Hokkaido University tested thin samples taken from superconducting wires.

— Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 5 Sep. 2026
The poll’s crosstab included much smaller sub-samples of voters, broken down by age, gender and location, and the statewide sample was just 250 Democrats.

— Steve Bousquet, Sun Sentinel, 5 Sep. 2026

Definition of samples

Noun

The seagrape trees and dunes offer a chance for wildlife lovers to spot plenty of birds along with other creatures that call these beaches home, and the water is exceptionally calm for an Atlantic shore.

— Austin Perry OutKick, FOXNews.com, 4 Sep. 2026
And then in Book 2, that attraction that the creatures have to him in the magical world of Gilmouria becomes stronger.

— Clare Mulroy, USA Today, 2 Sep. 2026

Definition of creatures

Noun

Released in 2025, the first part of Julia Loktev’s monumental documentary project My Undesirable Friends, subtitled Last Air in Moscow, gave us a sprawling, breathless look at a few devastating months in the lives of Russian journalists.

— Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 4 Sep. 2026
God willing, that place will be juvenile court, where the lives of these young people can be respected and honored.

— Liza Esquibias, USA Today, 4 Sep. 2026

Definition of lives

Noun

Another 13 people were wounded on downtown Sacramento’s K Street and 10th Street, in what became the deadliest mass shooting in the city’s history.

— Darrell Smith, Sacbee.com, 19 June 2026
Organizers say more than 125,000 people are expected throughout the event, bringing in millions of dollars for the local economy.

— Ryan Hughes, CBS News, 19 June 2026

Definition of people

Noun

Erin then complains about her daughter and drones on about all sorts of things that no one can even pretend to care about.

— Brian Moylan, Vulture, 9 Sep. 2026
These were pretty innocuous in the grand scheme of things, but were hanging as a PR headache for Ferrari heading to its home race.

— Alex Kalinauckas, New York Times, 9 Sep. 2026

Definition of things

Browse Nearby Words

specimen

specimens

specious

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Specimens.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/specimens. Accessed 9 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of specimens

noun

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

stigma

Popular in Grammar & Usage

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

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

Popular in Wordplay

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary

Words from the 'Odyssey'

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Popular

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

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary

Games & Quizzes