Copyright © Philip M. Parker, INSEAD. Terms of Use.
Definition: Specificity |
SpecificityNoun1. The quality of being specific rather than general: "add a desirable note of specificity to the discussion"; "the specificity of the symptoms of the disease". 2. The quality of being specific to a particular organism: "host specificity of a parasite". Source: WordNet 1.7.1 Copyright © 2001 by Princeton University. All rights reserved. |
Date "specificity" was first used in popular English literature: sometime before 1980. (references) |
| Domain | Definition |
Computing | The ratio of the number of non-relevant and non-retrieved items to the total number of non-relevant items in the file. Source: European Union. (references) |
Medicine | Degree of selectivity shown by an antibody with respect to the number and types of antigens with which the antibody combines, as well as with respect to the rates and the extents of these reactions. Source: European Union. (references) |
| The quality of being specific. Source: European Union. (references) | |
Meteorology & Standards | The ability of a method to distinguish between the analyte being measured and other substances. This characteristic is predominantly a function of the measuring principle used, but can vary according to class of compound or matrix. Source: European Union. (references) |
Statistics | The specificity of a test is the probability that the test will declare the condition of interest absent when the condition is in fact absent. Source: European Union. (references) |
| In multivariate, and particularly in factor analysis, the specificity of a variate is the proportion of its total variance attributable to a specific factor. Source: European Union. (references) | |
Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. | |
(From Wikipedia, the free Encyclopedia)
Source: adapted by the editor from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia under a copyleft GNU Free Documentation License (GFDL) from the article "Specificity."
| Domain | Title |
Books |
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Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. | |
| Thumbnail | Description & Credit |  | Table showing sensitivity, specificity, and predictive values of serological tests for antibody to A antigen of Blastomyces dermatitidis in early convalescent phase sera. Credit: CDC. |
Source: pictures compiled by the editor from various references; see picture credits. | |||
| Subject | Topic | Quote |
Health | The immune system displays both enormous diversity and extraordinary specificity. (references) | |
In keeping with its high sensitivity, however, the EOAE lacks adequate specificity. (references) | ||
Such findings raise questions regarding the specificity of these biological changes. (references) | ||
Travel | Tanzania | Patience, specificity and flexibility are essential for success. (references) |
Source: compiled by the editor from ICON Group International, Inc.; see credits. | ||
| "Specificity" is generally used as a noun (singular) -- approximately 100.00% of the time. "Specificity" is used about 492 times out of a sample of 100 million words spoken or written in English. Its rank is based on over 700,000 words used in the English language. Some parts-of-speech are not covered due to the samples used by the British National Corpus. (note: percents less than one-hundredth of one percent have been omitted) |
| Parts of Speech | Percent | Usage per 100 Million Words | Rank in English |
| Noun (singular) | 100% | 492 | 12,185 |
Source: compiled by the editor from several corpora; see credits.
Expressions using "specificity": Antibody Specificity ♦ Organ Specificity ♦ Sensitivity and Specificity ♦ Species Specificity ♦ substrate specificity. Additional references. | |
| Hypenated Usage | |
Ending with "specificity": context-specificity, input-specificity, shape-specificity. | |
| Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. | |
| The following statistics estimate the number of searches per day across the major English-language search engines as identified by various trade publications. Hyperlinks lead to commercial use of the expression at Amazon.com. |
| Expression | Frequency per Day |
sensitivity and specificity | 15 |
specificity | 14 |
exhaustivity specificity | 5 |
asset specificity | 3 |
specificity training | 2 |
hybridization in probe situ specificity testing | 2 |
| Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. | |
| Language | Translations for "specificity"; alternative meanings/domain in parentheses. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Albanian | specifikim (data sheet, specification). (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Bulgarian | специфичност (peculiarity), специфика (particularity). (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Chinese | 特异性. (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Czech | úèinek (effect, impact, operation). (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Danish | specificitet. (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Dutch | specificiteit, exactheidspercentage, exactheidsfactor. (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Finnish | spesifiteetti, spesifisyys, omavarianssi, erityisyys. (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
French | spécificité. (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
German | Genauigkeit (accuracy, correctness, elaborateness, essential, exactitude, exactness, faithfulness, fastidiousness, fidelity, measuredness, meticulousness, minuteness, niceness, nicety, particularity, preciseness, precision, punctiliousness, rightness, rigidity, scrupulousness, shrewdness, smoothness, strictness, veracity). (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Greek | προσδιοριστικότητα, ειδικότητα (adeptness, speciality, specialty), ειδιότητα, εξειδίκευση των μεθόδων, εξειδίκευση. (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Hebrew | יחו"יות (exclusiveness, exclusivity), ספציפיות (specificality), ס'וליות (specificness). (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Hungarian | fajlagosság. (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Italian | specificit (selectivity). (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Japanese Kanji | 日本人論 (theories of Japanese cultural or racial specificity). (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Japanese Katakana | にほ"じ"ろ" (theories of Japanese cultural or racial specificity). (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Korean | 특이성. (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Pig Latin | ecificityspay especificidade. (various references) specificitate (peculiarity). (various references) специфичность (peculiarity). (various references) specifičnost. (various references) especificidad. (various references) specificitet, antikroppsspecificitet. (various references) aяratynlyk. (various references) nét riêng biệt (specificness), đặc trưng (characteristic, speciality, specificness, typical). (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Derivations | |
Words ending with "specificity": monospecificity, stereospecificity. (additional references) | |
| |
"Specificity" is suggested in spellcheckers for the following: specficity, specificily. (additional references) | |
| Source: compiled by the editor, based on several corpora (additional references). | |
| # of Phoneme Matches | Pronunciation | Word(s) rhyming with "specificity" (pronounced spe'sufi"sutē) |
| 5 | -i" s u t ē | analyticity, authenticity, complicity, domesticity, duplicity, eccentricity, elasticity, electricity, ethnicity, Felicity, multiplicity, publicity, simplicity, toxicity. |
| 4 | -s u t ē | adversity, animosity, atrocity, audacity, biodiversity, capacity, complexity, curiosity, density, diversity, falsity, ferocity, generosity, incapacity, intensity, laxity, mendacity, monstrosity, necessity, obesity, opacity, overcapacity, paucity, perplexity, perversity, pomposity, propensity, reciprocity, religiosity, scarcity, tenacity, university, varsity, velocity, veracity, virtuosity, viscosity, voracity. |
| 3 | -u t ē | ability, abnormality, absurdity, acceptability, accessibility, accountability, acidity, activity, actuality, acuity, adaptability, admissibility, advisability, affinity, affordability, aggressivity, agility, alacrity, alkalinity, ambiguity, amenity, amiability, amity, annuity, anonymity, antiquity, anxiety, applicability, austerity, authority, availability, banality, barbarity, believability, bestiality, bisexuality, brevity, brutality, calamity, capability, captivity, causality, cavity, celebrity, centrality, charity, chastity, civility, clarity, collegiality, commodity, commonality, community, comparability, compatibility, comprehensibility, conditionality, conductivity, confidentiality, conformity, congeniality, congruity, connectivity, constitutionality, continuity, convertibility, creativity, credibility, credulity, criminality, criticality, crotchety, culpability, cyclicality, debility, deductibility, deformity, deity, deniability, dependability, depravity, deputy, desirability, dexterity, dignity, dimensionality, disability, discontinuity, disparity, dissimilarity, disunity, divinity, docility, duality, ductility, durability, electability, eligibility, enforceability, enmity, enormity, entity, equality, equanimity, equity, eternity, eventuality, exclusivity, expressivity, extraterritoriality, extremity, facility, fallibility, familiarity, fatality, feasibility, femininity, fertility, festivity, fidelity, finality, flammability, flexibility, fluidity, formality, fragility, fraternity, frivolity, frugality, functionality, futility, generality, geniality, gentility, gratuity, gravity, gullibility, heredity, heterogeneity, heterosexuality, hilarity, homogeneity, homosexuality, hospitality, hostility, humanity, humidity, humility, hyperactivity, hypersensitivity, identity, illegality, illiquidity, immaturity, immobility, immorality, immortality, immunity, impartiality, impersonality, impossibility, impropriety, impunity, impurity, inability, inaccessibility, inactivity, incivility, incompatibility, incongruity, incredulity, indemnity, indestructibility, indignity, individuality, inequality, inequity, inevitability, infallibility, inferiority, infertility, infidelity, infinity, infirmity, inflexibility, informality, ingenuity, inhumanity, insanity, insecurity, insensitivity, instability, instrumentality, insularity, integrity, invincibility, invisibility, invulnerability, irrationality, irregularity, irresponsibility, irritability, laity, legality, legibility, lethality, levity, liability, liberality, liquidity, lividity, locality, longevity, majority, malleability, maneuverability, marketability, masculinity, materiality, maternity, maturity, mediocrity, mentality, minority, miscibility, mobility, modality, modernity, morality, morbidity, mortality, motility, municipality, musicality, mutuality, nationality, nativity, negativity, neutrality, nobility, Nonconformity, nonentity, nonutility, normality, notoriety, nudity, objectivity, obscenity, obscurity, oddity, opportunity, originality, oversensitivity, palatability, parity, partiality, particularity, passivity, paternity, peculiarity, permeability, perpetuity, personality, piety, plausibility, plurality, polarity, polity, popularity, portability, possibility, posterity, practicality, predictability, principality, priority, probability, probity, proclivity, productivity, profanity, profitability, progressivity, promiscuity, proportionality, propriety, prosperity, proximity, punctuality, purity, quality, quantity, radioactivity, rapidity, rarity, rationality, reactivity, readability, reality, receptivity, reflexivity, regularity, relativity, reliability, respectability, responsibility, retroactivity, rickety, rigidity, salinity, sanctity, sanity, seasonality, security, selectivity, senility, seniority, sensibility, sensitivity, sensuality, sentimentality, serendipity, serenity, severity, sexuality, similarity, sincerity, sobriety, society, solemnity, solidarity, solidity, sorority, speciality, spirituality, spontaneity, stability, sterility, stupidity, subjectivity, suitability, superconductivity, superfluidity, superiority, supermajority, surety, survivability, susceptibility, sustainability, technicality, temerity, theatricality, timidity, tonality, totality, tranquility, transferability, Trinity, triviality, turbidity, ubiquity, unanimity, unavailability, unfamiliarity, uniformity, unity, universality, unpopularity, unpredictability, unreality, unreliability, uppity, utility, validity, vanity, variability, variety, velvety, venality, Verity, versatility, viability, vicinity, virginity, virility, visibility, vitality, volatility, vulgarity, vulnerability. |
Source: compiled by the editor (additional references); see credits. | ||
Scrabble® Enable2K-Verified Anagrams | |
| Words within the letters "c-c-e-f-i-i-i-p-s-t-y" | |
-3 letters: citifies, specific, typifies. | |
-4 letters: sceptic, specify. | |
-5 letters: cities, citify, cystic, feisty, fistic, iciest, pectic, pities, septic, spicey. | |
| Words containing the letters "c-c-e-f-i-i-i-p-s-t-y" | |
+4 letters: monospecificity. | |
| Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. SCRABBLE® is a registered trademark. All intellectual property rights in and to the game are owned in the U.S.A and Canada by Hasbro Inc., and throughout the rest of the world by J.W. Spear & Sons Limited of Maidenhead, Berkshire, England, a subsidiary of Mattel Inc. Mattel and Spear are not affiliated with Hasbro. | |
| 1. Definition 2. Crosswords 3. Usage: Commercial 4. Images: Photo Album | 5. Quotations: Non-fiction 6. Usage Frequency 7. Expressions 8. Expressions: Internet | 9. Translations: Modern 10. Derivations 11. Rhymes 12. Anagrams | 13. Bibliography |
Copyright © Philip M. Parker, INSEAD. Terms of Use.
