Adjacent Words

Specify definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

SPEC'IFY, v.t. To mention or name, as a particular thing; to designate in words so as to distinguish a thing from every other; as, to specify the uses of a plant; to specify the articles one wants to purchase. He has there given us an exact geography of Greece, where the countries and the uses of their soils are specified.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

v
1: specify as a condition or requirement in a contract or agreement; make an express demand or provision in an agreement; "The will stipulates that she can live in the house for the rest of her life"; "The contract stipulates the dates of the payments" [syn: stipulate, qualify, condition, specify]
2: decide upon or fix definitely; "fix the variables"; "specify the parameters" [syn: specify, set, determine, define, fix, limit]
3: determine the essential quality of [syn: specify, define, delineate, delimit, delimitate]
4: be specific about; "Could you please specify your criticism of my paper?" [syn: specify, particularize, particularise, specialize, specialise] [ant: generalise, generalize]
5: define clearly; "I cannot narrow down the rules for this game" [syn: pin down, peg down, nail down, narrow down, narrow, specify]
6: design or destine; "She was intended to become the director" [syn: intend, destine, designate, specify]
7: select something or someone for a specific purpose; "The teacher assigned him to lead his classmates in the exercise" [syn: assign, specify, set apart]

Merriam Webster's

transitive verb (-fied; -fying) Etymology: Middle English specifien, from Anglo-French specifier, from Late Latin specificare, from specificus Date: 14th century 1. to name or state explicitly or in detail 2. to include as an item in a specification • specifiable adjective • specifier noun

Oxford Reference Dictionary

v.tr. (-ies, -ied) 1 (also absol.) name or mention expressly (specified the type he needed). 2 (usu. foll. by that + clause) name as a condition (specified that he must be paid at once). 3 include in specifications (a French window was not specified). Derivatives: specifiable adj. specifier n. Etymology: ME f. OF specifier or LL specificare (as SPECIFIC)

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Specify Spec"i*fy, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Specified; p. pr. & vb. n. Specifying.] [F. sp['e]cifier, or OF. especifier, fr. LL. specificare. See Species, -fy.] To mention or name, as a particular thing; to designate in words so as to distinguish from other things; as, to specify the uses of a plant; to specify articles purchased. He has there given us an exact geography of Greece, where the countries and the uses of their soils are specified. --Pope.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

(specifies, specifying, specified) 1. If you specify something, you give information about what is required or should happen in a certain situation. They specified a spacious entrance hall... He has not specified what action he would like them to take. VERB: V n, V wh 2. If you specify what should happen or be done, you explain it in an exact and detailed way. Each recipe specifies the size of egg to be used... One rule specifies that learner drivers must be supervised by adults... Patients eat together at a specified time. VERB: V n, V that, V-ed

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

v. a. Designate, particularize, indicate, define, individualize, detail, show clearly, name with precision.

Moby Thesaurus

address to, adduce, advert to, allude to, anatomize, assign, atomize, baptize, be taken as, bound, bring to attention, bring to notice, call, call attention to, christen, circle in, circumscribe, circumstantiate, cite, condition, define, delimit, delimitate, delineate, demarcate, denominate, denote, descend to particulars, designate, detail, determine, direct attention to, direct to, document, dub, emblematize, enclose, enter into detail, entitle, enumerate, establish, figure, finger, fix, focus on, give full particulars, identify, indicate, individualize, instance, inventory, itemize, label, lay off, limit, list, mark, mark boundaries, mark off, mark out, mark the periphery, mention, name, nickname, nominate, particularize, pick out, pin down, point at, point out, point to, precise, refer to, rope off, select, set, set forth, set out, set the limit, settle, signify, specialize, spell out, stake out, stand for, state, stigmatize, stipulate, style, substantiate, surround, symbol, symbolize, tag, term, title, touch on, typify