# specify

Pronunciation: US say "SPES-uh-fy" /ˈspɛs.əˌfaɪ/; UK say "SPES-i-fy" /ˈspɛs.ɪ.faɪ/

## Verb

1. To state something explicitly, in detail, or as a condition.
   - Simple: To say clearly and exactly what you want or mean.
   - _The contract specifies that payment is due within thirty days._
   - _You must specify your dietary requirements when booking._
2. To name or include something as a required item within a formal specification.
   - Simple: To name something as a required part of a design or plan.
   - _The blueprint specifies fire-rated doors throughout the corridor._
   - _Designers specify low-energy fittings to meet the building code._
3. To cause or bring about a particular, specific result.
   - Simple: To cause one exact result rather than another.
   - _In genetics, a sequence of bases specifies a particular amino acid._
   - _Warm or cool nest temperatures specify whether the turtle eggs hatch as males or females._

## Verb

4. To speak explicitly or in detail, often about a particular subject. *(obsolete)*
   - Simple: To talk about something clearly and with all the details.
   - _The witness began to specify of the events leading up to the quarrel._
   - _In his letters he specified of his hopes for the new colony._

## Origin

It comes from Middle English specifien, from Old French specifier (also especefier) or directly from Medieval Latin specificō, from specificus meaning "specific."

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/specify (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).