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# specify

«specify» in Mova's school dictionary: **To say or write something clearly and exactly: specify…** — its meaning for a pupil, its sense in the lessons and examples.

### part of speech

verb (specify, specifies, specified, specifying)

### meaning for a pupil

1) To say or write something clearly and exactly: specify the date. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/specify/#m1)

2) (formal) To state as a rule or requirement. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/specify/#m2)

### sense in the lessons

In formal exams and maths, «specify the units» or «unless otherwise specified» means unless stated exactly. In everyday instructions, «please specify your size». Phrases: specify exactly, unless otherwise specified.

### examples

- Please specify your shoe size. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/specify/#x1)
- The recipe doesn't specify how much salt. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/specify/#x2)
- Unless otherwise specified, give answers in cm. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/specify/#x3)
- She specified that she wanted blue. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/specify/#x4)
- The rules specify a maximum of six players. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/specify/#x5)
- Can you specify what you mean? [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/specify/#x6)

### note

Past: specified (y to i). Noun: specification; adjective: specific. Formal; in speech say «say exactly». Maths: if a problem specifies units, give the answer in those units.

### Trees and pragmatics

[Every meaning and example of «specify» parsed by Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/specify/), each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.