Specific means clearly defined and exact, not general or vague. It refers to a particular thing or detail rather than a broad category.
From Late Latin *specificus* “kind, special,” from Latin *species* “appearance, kind” + *-ficus* “making.” It originally meant “belonging to a particular kind.”
Specific is the opposite of fuzzy: it pins an idea down so tightly that there’s little room for confusion. That’s why teachers love to say, “Be more specific”—they’re asking you to trade fog for sharp edges.
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