Specifying

How to spell specifying

10 letters · 4 syllables

How to pronounce specifying

Say the part in capitals loudest.

What does specifying mean?

1. verbStating or identifying something clearly and in exact detail.

Specifying in a sentence

• Specifying the exact dimensions on the order form saved the carpenter a return trip.

• The contract goes into detail, specifying a delivery date and a penalty for delay.

Where does specifying come from?

Language of origin: Latin

This word descends from the Latin specificare, meaning 'to sort by kind' or 'to make particular', which was built from species, meaning 'kind, sort, or appearance', and facere, meaning 'to make or do'. The root species in turn came from specere, 'to look at', so the underlying image is of distinguishing things by how they look. English took 'specify' through Old French specifier in the 1300s, where it meant to mention something definitely and in detail, and the modern participle 'specifying' simply adds the usual -ing ending. The same speci- root still shows up in 'special', 'species', and 'specimen', which is a useful reminder that the word is spelled with a c, not the s sound it makes. Because that middle consonant is pronounced like an s but written as a c, it is the main spot where careful writers double-check the spelling.

How the word is built

• speci- (from Latin species: kind, sort)
• -fy (from facere: to make)
• -ing (present participle suffix)