specify - Master This Word

specify Word Meanings

• to state something explicitly
• to identify clearly
• to describe in detail

specify Example Sentences

Example sentences are the start of understanding. Don't rush to memorize. First feel how the word works in a sentence.

• Please specify your favorite color.
• Can you specify the time for the meeting?
• He did not specify his plans for the weekend.
• The teacher asked me to specify the question.
• You need to specify the size of the shirt.

specify Word Etymology

specify = spec- (to look) + -ify (to make); Latin → Old French → English. Imagine someone looking closely at a document to make explicit details.

English Brain Route

I reach for the notebook, hold the pencil, and set a line on the page. I move the pencil, shift my thoughts, and push a few words together until they point to one clear thing. I adjust my grip, keep the pace steady, and turn the sentence into phrasing that names the detail precisely. When the line settles, the idea feels specific, as if I’ve labeled it with care.

Real Context

To specify something is to state it explicitly and in detail, leaving little room for doubt. In English we often pair specify with information, requirements, or conditions that must be clear: Please specify the date and time, The contract specifies the penalties, Can you specify which version you want? The nuance is about precision and identification rather than vague description. Learners may confuse specify with explain or describe; specify is more formal and directive, and it is common in instructions, forms, and technical writing. It also collocates with exactly, precisely or in writing. Remember that you usually specify information rather than opinions, and you avoid broad statements when you want clarity.

Usage Reminders

• - Use specify for precise, required details rather than vague ideas.
• - After please, specify the exact date, time, or version.
• - It appears often in forms, instructions, and technical writing.
• - Do not use specify to mean explain or describe; keep it about what must be defined.
• - Check that the object of specify is clear and concrete.

Common Misconceptions

• Specify is not the same as explain; it is about exact details, not reasons or explanations.
• You can specify dates, times, versions, or requirements; you don't usually specify opinions.
• Avoid vague language after specify; be concrete.
• Specify often appears in formal or technical contexts like forms or contracts.
• Misplacing specify with describe can make requests seem broad or vague.

Thinking Differences

Explain to an English speaker that specify is formal and often used in rules, forms, or contracts to demand exact details; avoid treating it as a general description.

Learning Tips

• Practice common collocations: specify the date, specify the requirements, specify in writing.
• Distinguish specify from explain and describe in both meaning and tone.
• Use specify in formal contexts such as forms and contracts.
• When you specify something, focus on objects and exact details.
• Check if your sentence could be clearer by turning generic terms into specifics.
• Read formal notices and identify how specify is used.

5-Step Learning Method - Learn English in English

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