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Glite Dictionary
📝 To state exactly 🎯 To assign a role
to specify

to specify

61 3.9
To choose someone for a particular job or role
  • verb
  • /ˈspɛsɪˌfaɪ/
  • Specialized
translation icon : destinar a
  • In this study, normal individuals were instructed to move a hand in a specified direction.
  • specified model

And what we know is genes, of course, are the blueprint to specify proteins, and the Sirtu genes encode particular proteins.

Examples

  • Declared students will be assigned to faculty mentors from their specified department or major.

    Academic text (1990)

  • The dimensions of the letters to form the legend were specified in millimeters.

    Fiction book (1993)

  • Then you say equals new and you specify the same type again.

  • The agency provided a list of potential participants that met the specified criteria.

    Academic text (2011)

  • The contractor has a specified number of hours to get the containers out after a storm.

    Academic text (1999)

  • We have a specified target along the Eastern slope of thePanamint mountains in Death Valley.

    Wavelength (1983)

  • For example, it may be specified that all short-term books have a 24-hour loan period.

    Academic text (1990)

  • As of 2008-2009, the USDA has specified that no dried fruit may be served through this program.

    Academic text (2011)

  • The Hannons were surprised, but they hadn't specified a boy, and they didn't know what to say.

    Fiction book (1999)

  • The guidelines specify that all applications must be submitted by Friday.

Synonyms

to design
vsto specify
481 2.8

To plan with a specific aim in mind

focuses on explicitly fixing that plan rather than general planning
to intend
vsto specify
405 2.8

Plan for someone or something to be used for a particular purpose

emphasizes clearly stating that plan rather than only having the plan
to designate
vsto specify
  • Formal
124 5.0

To officially choose someone for a job or role

is less formal and can mean planning rather than official appointment
to assign
vsto specify
89 3.1

Decide the group, place, or role something belongs to in a system

is broader and not tied specifically to systems or categories
to purpose
vsto specify
4 5.6

To decide or plan to do something

is about formally naming that intended use rather than simply choosing it
to predesignate
vsto specify
8.0

To choose something in advance for a certain use, like seats or funds

is the general act without the requirement of doing it ahead of time

Antonyms

to generalize
  • US
41 4.2

To form a general idea from one or a few examples

How Specific

to specify
  • Specialized
61 3.9
to tailor
57 4.2
to adapt
178 3.2
to design
481 2.8
to apply
374 2.8

Surface Forms

specify infinitive
specified past
specified past participle
specifying present participle
specifies third person singular

Morphology

specify = specific (transparent) = specific + ify

The sense 'design for a particular purpose' is a direct application of 'make specific', so the adjective 'specific' plus '-ify' yields the verb transparently.

Etymology

The verb specify is built from specific plus the ending -fy meaning 'make', so it literally means 'make specific'. So, to specify someone for a job is to 'make them specific' for that role, meaning to choose or design them for a particular purpose.