Specific
/spəˈsɪfɪk/noun
Clearly defined, precise, or relating to a particular thing.
Did you know?Specific ultimately comes from Latin *specere* “to look,” the same ancient root behind *spy*, *spectacle*, *inspect*, and *speculate*—words all tied to seeing, watching, and mental vision.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*spek-
“to look, observe”
Latin
Latin
specere
“to look at, behold”
Late Latin
Latin
specificus
“particular, special; belonging to a species”
Middle French
Old French
specifique
“special, particular”
16th Century
English
specific
“particular, distinctive; later, precisely defined”