specific adj

1 (sometimes followed by `to') applying to or characterized by or distinguishing something particular or special or unique; "rules with specific application"; "demands specific to the job"; "a specific and detailed account of the accident" [ant: general, nonspecific]

2 stated explicitly or in detail; "needed a specific amount"

3 relating to or distinguishing or constituting a taxonomic species; "specific characters"

4 being or affecting a disease produced by a particular microorganism or condition; used also of stains or dyes used in making microscope slides; "quinine is highly specific for malaria"; "a specific remedy"; "a specific stain is one having a specific affinity for particular structural elements" [ant: nonspecific]

1 a fact about some part (as opposed to general); "he always reasons from the particular to the general" [syn: particular] [ant: general, general]

2 a medicine that has a mitigating effect on a specific disease; "quinine is a specific for malaria"

English

Pronunciation

Adjective

1. explicit or definite
2. of, or relating to a species
3. pertaining to a taxon at the rank of species
4. special, distinctive or unique
5. intended for, or applying to a particular thing
6. being a remedy for a particular disease
7. (immunology) being limited to a particular antibody or antigen
8. a value divided by the mass (e.g. specific volume)

Translations

• Arabic:
• Catalan: específic
• Chinese: 特定的 (tèdìng de)
• Dutch: specifiek
• Finnish: tietty (1), spesifinen (1)
• French: spécifique
• Galician: específico
• German: spezifisch
• Greek: ειδοποιός (ethopiós)
• Hungarian: sajátos, meghatározott
• Italian: specifico
• Japanese: 特殊な (とくしゅな, tokushu na)
• Korean: 특정한 (teukjeonghan)
• Portuguese: específico
• Russian: конкретный
• Spanish: específico
• Swedish: specifik

Noun

specific (plural specifics)

1. a remedy for a particular disorder
2. a distinguishing attribute or quality

Derived terms

• conspecific
• gender-specific
• infraspecific
• interspecific
• intraspecific
• nonspecific
• prostate-specific antigen
• species-specific
• specific charge
• specific epithet
• specific fuel consumption
• specific name
• specific gravity
• specific heat
• specific impulse
• specific performance
• specific resistance
• specific thrust

Romanian

Etymology

spécifique

Pronunciation

Adjective

Declension

Antonyms

Specific can mean:

• Particular

In science, specific can denote that a measurement is expressed per unit mass (or weight):

• Specific heat capacity
• Specific energy
• Specific impulse

or is relative to a standard value:

• Specific refractive index (relative to air)

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