specificity

S1P3E1C3I1F4I1C3I1T1Y4
UK, US/spɛsɪˈfɪsɪti/

noun

The state of being specific rather than general.

“Coordinate term: sensitivity”

CommonScrabble 23

Meanings

nounspecificity (usually uncountable, plural specificities)

plural specificities

  1. uncountableusuallyThe state of being specific rather than general.
    1 more example

    Congress must set a clear standard: Police should prove with specificity what's on your phone before forcing it open, and only after the device's owner has consulted with a lawyer. Doing so would provide citizens a means to ensure police follow warrant requirements without sacrificing law enforcement's ability to pursue the crime they're investigating.

    2024 October 14, Patrick Eddington, James Craven, Police Want the Password to Your Phone
  2. The extent to which a characteristic is specific to a given person, place, or thing; thus:
    1. uncountableusuallymathematicsThe probability, in a binary classification test, of a true negative being correctly identified.

      Coordinate term: sensitivity

    2. uncountableusuallymedicineThe extent to which a particular diagnostic test is specific for, or a symptom or sign is specific to, a given condition.

Synonyms & antonyms

Origin

From specific + -ity, perhaps modelled after French spécificité. First attested in 1829.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Bulgarian специфичност
  • специфичност (specifičnost)the state of being specific rather than general
Catalan especificitat
  • especificitatthe state of being specific rather than general
Dutch specificiteit
  • specificiteitthe state of being specific rather than general
Esperanto specifeco
  • specifecothe state of being specific rather than general
Finnish erityisyys, täsmällisyys
  • erityisyysthe state of being specific rather than general
  • täsmällisyysthe state of being specific rather than general
  • tarkkuus(statistics) probability in a binary classification test of a true negative being correctly identified
French spécificité, spécificité
  • spécificitéthe state of being specific rather than general
  • spécificité(statistics) probability in a binary classification test of a true negative being correctly identified
German Spezifizität, Spezifität
  • Spezifizitätthe state of being specific rather than general
  • Spezifität(statistics) probability in a binary classification test of a true negative being correctly identified
Hebrew ייחודיות \ יִחוּדִיּוּת, סגוליות \ סְגֻלִּיּוּת
  • ייחודיות \ יִחוּדִיּוּת (yiḥudiyút)the state of being specific rather than general
  • סגוליות \ סְגֻלִּיּוּת (sguliyút)(statistics) probability in a binary classification test of a true negative being correctly identified
Indonesian spesifisitas, spesifisitas
  • spesifisitasthe state of being specific rather than general
  • spesifisitas(statistics) probability in a binary classification test of a true negative being correctly identified
Italian specificità
  • specificitàthe state of being specific rather than general
Polish specyfika, specyficzność
  • specyfikathe state of being specific rather than general
  • specyficznośćthe state of being specific rather than general
Portuguese especificidade
  • especificidadethe state of being specific rather than general
Romanian specificitate, specificitate
  • specificitatethe state of being specific rather than general
  • specificitate(statistics) probability in a binary classification test of a true negative being correctly identified
Russian специ́фика
  • специ́фика (specífika)the state of being specific rather than general
Spanish especificidad
  • especificidadthe state of being specific rather than general
Tagalog katiyakan
  • katiyakanthe state of being specific rather than general
Ukrainian специфіка
  • специфіка (specyfika)the state of being specific rather than general
Cite this entry
APA

specificity. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/specificity

MLA

“specificity.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/specificity. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “specificity,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/specificity.

Source: specificity on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.