# specific

/spəˈsɪfɪk/ (US) · /spəsˈɪfɪk/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/specific
Updated: 2026-06-19

## Senses

### 1. exact and clear

adjective · CEFR B1

clear and exact rather than general.

For teachers: explicit, definite, or precise in nature; avoiding ambiguity by providing exact details.

- The teacher gave us specific instructions on how to finish the project.
- The contract includes specific clauses regarding the termination of services, ensuring that both parties understand their legal obligations.

### 2. particular or unique

adjective · CEFR B1

relating to one particular thing and not others.

For teachers: restricted to a particular individual, situation, or object; unique to a certain context.

- This medicine is for a specific type of allergy.
- The researcher identified a specific gene sequence that appears only in this population of desert plants.

### 3. standardized by mass

adjective · CEFR C1 · Technical · Academic

used in science to describe a value that is divided by the mass of an object.

For teachers: denoting a physical quantity per unit of mass, or a value standardized by division to create a ratio.

- Specific heat is the amount of heat needed to raise the temperature of one gram of a substance.
- Engineers must calculate the specific gravity of the alloy to determine if the component will float in the high-density cooling fluid.

### 4. the details

noun · CEFR B2

the small details or exact facts about something.

For teachers: the particular details or precise items of information; almost exclusively used in the plural form.

- I know the general plan, but I don't know the specifics yet.
- While the CEO outlined the broad vision for the merger, the legal teams spent weeks debating the specifics of the asset transfer.

Usage: Usually used in the plural form 'specifics'.

## Examples

- I need to know the specifics of the plan.
- While the general idea of the merger is clear, the legal specifics are still being negotiated by both teams.
- The contract outlines the broad goals of the partnership, but the technical specifics regarding data security and liability are contained in the attached appendix.

---

From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.