specific

/spi'sifik/

Thân thiện

A scientist uses a specific stain to highlight the cell's nucleus.

Definition

1. Adjective:

   • Clearly defined or identified: Refers to something that is precise, exact, and not general or vague.
   • Relating to a particular subject, thing, or group: Indicates something that is unique, distinctive, or characteristic of a specific category.
   • In biology, relating to a species: Pertains to the distinguishing characteristics of a particular taxonomic species.

2. Noun:

   • A medicine effective against a particular disease: A remedy that has a mitigating effect on a specific illness or condition.
   • A particular fact or detail: A distinct piece of information about a part, as opposed to general information.

Examples of Usage

• Adjective:

  • Please provide specific instructions for the task. (The instructions need to be precise and detailed.)
  • Each job has its own specific requirements. (The requirements are unique to that particular job.)
  • The symptoms are specific to this disease. (The symptoms are characteristic and identifying for this particular illness.)

• Noun:

  • Penicillin was a specific for many bacterial infections. (Penicillin was a targeted medicine for those infections.)
  • Let's move from generalities to specifics. (Let's discuss particular details instead of broad ideas.)

Advanced Usage

• "Specific to": Applying only to a particular thing or group.

  • This protocol is specific to laboratory safety. (This protocol applies only to safety in labs.)

• In scientific contexts: Used to describe properties or measurements relative to a standard unit.

  • The specific gravity of a substance is its density relative to water.

Variants and Related Words

• Specifically (adverb): In a specific manner; for a particular purpose or person.

  • The tool was designed specifically for left-handed users.

• Specify (verb): To state or describe something clearly and precisely.

  • The contract must specify the delivery date.

• Specification (noun): An act of specifying or a detailed description of requirements.

  • The engineer reviewed the technical specifications.

Synonyms

• Adjective: Precise, exact, particular, distinct, explicit, definite.
• Noun: Detail, particular, item.

Antonyms

• Adjective: General, vague, nonspecific, ambiguous, indefinite.
• Noun: Generalization, overview.

Related Phrases

• To be specific: Used to introduce a precise detail or example.

  • We need to improve efficiency—to be specific, we must reduce processing time.

• In specific: An alternative to "in particular" or "specifically."

  • He discussed the budget, and in specific, the marketing allocation.

Học thuật

Adjective

1. 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
2. relating to or distinguishing or constituting a taxonomic species
   • specific characters
3. stated explicitly or in detail
   • needed a specific amount
4. (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

Noun

1. a medicine that has a mitigating effect on a specific disease
   • quinine is a specific for malaria
2. a fact about some part (as opposed to general)
   • he always reasons from the particular to the general

Từ đồng nghĩa

• particular