- (a.) Exerting a peculiar influence over any part of the body; preventing or curing disease by a peculiar adaption, and not on general principles; as, quinine is a specific medicine in cases of malaria.
- (a.) Anything having peculiar adaption to the purpose to which it is applied.
- (a.) Of or pertaining to a species; characterizing or constituting a species; possessing the peculiar property or properties of a thing which constitute its species, and distinguish it from other things; as, the specific form of an animal or a plant; the specific qualities of a drug; the specific distinction between virtue and vice.
- (n.) A specific remedy. See Specific, a., 3.
- (a.) Specifying; definite or making definite; limited; precise; discriminating; as, a specific statement.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary
| APA | Webster's. (2011). specific. Retrieved September 20, 2026, from http://smartdefine.org/specific/definitions/2064559 |
| Chicago | Webster's. 2011. "specific" http://smartdefine.org/specific/definitions/2064559 (accessed September 20, 2026). |
| Harvard | Webster's 2011, specific, Smart Define, viewed 20 September, 2026, <http://smartdefine.org/specific/definitions/2064559>. |
| MLA | Webster's. "specific" 28 May 2011. Web. 20 September 2026. <http://smartdefine.org/specific/definitions/2064559> |