Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

specificity

/spɛsɪˈfɪsɪti/

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 3.22 in modern English

Syllables: speci-fici-ty
IPA: /spɛsɪˈfɪsɪti/

23

Scrabble Score

11

Letters

5

Syllables

8

Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

The state of being specific rather than general.

Uncountable

noun

The extent to which a characteristic is specific to a given person, place, or thing; thus:

Uncountable

noun

The extent to which a characteristic is specific to a given person, place, or thing; thus:

Uncountable

Example Sentences

"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."
"Coordinate term: sensitivity"

Etymology

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

Origin

First known use: First attested in 1829

Word Breakdown

Suffix: specific

Regional Pronunciation

American English: /spɛsɪˈfɪsɪti/
British English: /spɛsɪˈfɪsɪti/

Usage

Uncountable

Inflected Forms

specificities (plural)

Derived Forms

allospecificity aspecificity bispecificity cardiospecificity chemospecificity conspecificity diastereospecificity enantiospecificity heterospecificity heterosubspecificity homospecificity hyperspecificity

Frequently Paired Words

sensitivity

Synonyms

specificness individuality particularity peculiarity propriety singularity specialty specificity

Antonyms

nonspecificity genericity

Rhymes With

electricity publicity simplicity toxicity felicity elasticity complicity eccentricity domesticity analyticity

Questions

How do you pronounce specificity?: The recorded pronunciation is /spɛsɪˈfɪsɪti/.
What does specificity mean?: The state of being specific rather than general.
Where does specificity come from?: First known use: First attested in 1829.

How to pronounce specificity

Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “specificity”.
Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling (/spɛsɪˈfɪsɪti/) so you know which sounds to aim for.
Play the audio — Click Play to hear reference audio for “specificity”.
Repeat and practice — Say “specificity” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.