specificity

[ spes-uh-fis-i-tee ]

noun

1. the quality or state of being specific.
2. Biochemistry, Pharmacology. the selective attachment or influence of one substance on another, as an antibiotic and its target organism or an antibody and its specific antigen.

Other Words From

• nonspec·i·fici·ty noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of specificity¹

First recorded in 1875–80; specific + -ity

Example Sentences

The TSG status is defined by the specificity and traditional element of the dish and decision makers will need to see a recipe agreed.

From BBC

Unlike last year’s monologue, this one wasn’t as razor sharp, but the material overall had the comic’s signature specificity and bafflement at the world.

From Los Angeles Times

But the questions posed to Vance concerning his past statements about backing a national abortion ban lacked enough specificity in their phrasing for the Ohio senator to claim he never supported one.

From Salon

“Organic pesticides are merely pesticides that cannot be chemically altered. You can’t tweak the chemical structure to improve specificity, allow them to be more stable, or increase how quickly they biodegrade,” she explained.

From Slate

“Organic pesticides are merely pesticides that cannot be chemically altered. You can’t tweak the chemical structure to improve specificity, allow them to be more stable, or increase how quickly they biodegrade,” she explained.

From Slate

Related Words

• particularity
• precision