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Added 9 October 2026

specificity

/spɛsɪˈfɪsɪti/ noun

First recorded: 1829 Wiktionary

noun Definition from WordNet 3.1, Princeton University. Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about specificity at Wordnik → Where our words come from →

The quality of being specific rather than general.
add a desirable note of specificity to the discussion
The quality of being specific to a particular organism.
host specificity of a parasite

Origin

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

From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)

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