specificity
noun
spec·i·fic·i·ty
ˌspe-sə-ˈfi-sə-tē 
: the quality or condition of being specific: such as
a
: the condition of being peculiar to a particular individual or group of organisms
host specificity of a parasite
b
: the condition of participating in or catalyzing only one or a few chemical reactions
the specificity of an enzyme
Examples of specificity in a Sentence
I was impressed by the specificity of her instructions.
the specificity of your description of your medical condition was a bit more than I needed
Recent Examples on the Web
Niche audiences respond best to authenticity and specificity.
—
Rhett Power, Forbes.com, 6 Apr. 2025
Computer vision is better described as a form of information management and prediction, as configurations of data with which probabilistic applications have been made, based on human instructions of varying degrees of clarity or specificity.
—Sonja Drimmer, Artforum, 1 Apr. 2025
And yet, despite years inside an elite industry, Opus depicts it without much specificity or nuance.
—Madison Bloom, Pitchfork, 10 Mar. 2025
The White House did not provide the text or describe its contents with any specificity.
—David E. Sanger, New York Times, 8 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for specificity
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Rhett Power, Forbes.com, 6 Apr. 2025
Computer vision is better described as a form of information management and prediction, as configurations of data with which probabilistic applications have been made, based on human instructions of varying degrees of clarity or specificity.
—Sonja Drimmer, Artforum, 1 Apr. 2025
And yet, despite years inside an elite industry, Opus depicts it without much specificity or nuance.
—Madison Bloom, Pitchfork, 10 Mar. 2025
The White House did not provide the text or describe its contents with any specificity.
—David E. Sanger, New York Times, 8 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for specificity
Cite this Entry
“Specificity.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/specificity. Accessed 13 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
specificity
noun
spec·i·fic·i·ty
ˌspes-ə-ˈfis-ət-ē
: the quality or condition of being specific
especially
: the condition of taking part in or of acting as a catalyst in only one or a few chemical reactions
the specificity of an enzyme
Medical Definition
specificity
noun
spec·i·fic·i·ty
ˌspes-ə-ˈfis-ət-ē
plural specificities
: the quality or condition of being specific: as
a
: the condition of being peculiar to a particular individual or group of organisms
host specificity of a parasite
b
: the condition of participating in or catalyzing only one or a few chemical reactions
the specificity of an enzyme
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