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spec

verb · noun · adjective

Simple meaning

A detailed description of what something must be or do.

Pronunciation

Say it like this:

spehk
US device voice
IPA pronunciation (US)

ˈspɛk

This word is pronounced essentially the same in American and British English, so one transcription covers both.

IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) is a standard way of writing speech sounds.

Word Review

Definition

Everyday modern meanings first, grouped by part of speech.

verb

  1. transitive

    To specify, especially in a formal specification document.

noun

  1. A species designated as of conservation concern according to this classification scheme.

  2. The act or process of specializing.

  3. Someone who is an expert in, or devoted to, some specific branch of study or research.

  4. colloquial

    An explicit set of requirements to be satisfied by a material, product, or service.

  5. A reduction in consumer cost (usually for a limited time) for items or services rendered; the thing thus sold.

  6. A range; a continuous, infinite, one-dimensional set, possibly bounded by extremes.

adjective

  1. Characterized by speculation; based on guessing, unfounded opinions, or extrapolation.

  2. Distinguished by a unique, particular, or unusual quality.

  3. Thoroughly explained.

Word at a Glance

Difficulty
B1 · Intermediate (estimated)
Frequency
Common
Typical Use
Everyday English

Word Aura™

How this word commonly comes across.

Aura for this meaning

This meaning: A species designated as of conservation concern according to this classification scheme.

Used this way, spec is a specialist word that usually carries little praise or criticism of its own. This is a scientific use: it names something precisely within a field of study, so it appears in research and teaching more than in conversation.

Emotional tone
Neutral
Formality
Specialist/technical
Intensity
Not strongly marked
How common
Specialized
Connotation
Clinical and technical
Usage feel
Technical and specialized

Where it naturally appears

  • Science
  • Academic writing
  • Technical/specialist writing

Usage note

In general conversation this sense usually needs explaining — outside its field, people reach for a plainer word.

Word Aura describes common impressions, not a measurement. Tone changes with sentence, speaker, relationship and situation.

More ways to use spec

  • “The engineers reviewed the new project spec before starting their design work.”noun

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Common Patterns and Combinations

How this word naturally appears with others.

mass specspec scriptamerica specspec sheetspec positionspec kit

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Word Family

Related forms, grouped by how they connect.

Inflected forms

Grammatical variations of the same word.

  • specsnounPlural form

    Optical instrument consisting of a frame that holds a pair of lenses for correcting defective vision.

Word family

Words built from the same root.

  • specialnounDerived noun

    A special offering (usually temporary and at a reduced price) that is featured in advertising.

  • speciationnounDerived noun

    The evolution of a biological species.

  • speciallyadverbDerived adverb

    In a special manner.

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Dictionary data from Wiktionary via the Free Dictionary API. Simple meanings, combinations and word intelligence are built from verified reference data, no AI is used to load this page.