Word
specificity
Phoneticsspeci·fici·ty
US/ˌspɛsəˈfɪsəti/
UK/spˌɛsɪfˈɪsɪti/
Uncountable noun
Definition
n. the quality of being exact and clear rather than general. You use this when you want to talk about how detailed or precise something is.
n. the quality of being clearly defined or identified; the state of being precise rather than general. In medical and statistical contexts, it refers to the ability of a test to correctly identify those without a specific condition.
Examples
“The plan lacks specificity and needs more detail.”
“The lawyer asked for more specificity regarding the dates and times mentioned in the witness's statement.”
“While the screening test showed high sensitivity for detecting the virus, its low specificity resulted in several false positives among the healthy control group.”
Examples
simple
“The plan lacks specificity and needs more detail.”
contextual
“The lawyer asked for more specificity regarding the dates and times mentioned in the witness's statement.”
complex
“While the screening test showed high sensitivity for detecting the virus, its low specificity resulted in several false positives among the healthy control group.”
Usage
Often paired with the preposition 'of' or used in the phrase 'lack of specificity'.
Real-World Examples
“But there is a deep cultural specificity to Ha’s approach that is fundamental to understanding his art.” “Mallorca is photographed like a stock image, its specificities digitally scrubbed clean.” Etymology
From specific + -ity. Compare French spécificité.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Word family
NOUN
ADJECTIVE
ADVERB
Domains
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.C1 AdvancedIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.7.0–8.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 5.0–5.595–113TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.945–990
- Frequency
- Frequent
- Level
- C1 · Advanced
- Updated
- アルファベット
- 読み方の一覧 →
QR code
englishreference.com/q/specificity