specification

specification — noun

1. a written document or set of documents that lists the exact details of how somet

1.nounB2
Definition

a written document or set of documents that lists the exact details of how something must be built, made, or done — such as the size, materials, and performance that a machine or building needs to have.

Example

The architect checked the building specification before ordering the steel beams.

collocation: building specification

Elena's team wrote a detailed specification for the new mobile banking application.

specification + for [domain/product]

Common collocations
  • technical specification
  • design specification
  • product specification
  • meet (the) specification
  • conform to specification
  • comply with specification
  • build to specification
  • write a specification
  • detailed specification
  • original specification
Synonyms
  • requirement

    focuses on a single needed condition rather than the full document of details; a specification contains many requirements

  • standard

    an accepted level of quality set by an industry body, not a project-specific document; a specification may reference a standard

  • criterion

    a single principle or standard by which something is judged; specifications are collections of criteria

Grammar Patterns

specification + for [purpose/domain]

specification + of [details]

meet/conform to + specification

Usage Note

Frequently used in the plural form (specifications) when referring to the full document set. In technical and engineering contexts, the word is often shortened informally to specs.

Common Mistakes

The specification says we need to use red paint.' (specification is a document, not a person)
The specification states that we need to use red paint.
use states instead of says in formal writing.
The product meets the specifications.' (when talking about a single document)
The product meets the specification.
use singular when referring to one unified document.

2. the act of stating something in an exact and detailed way — for example, naming

2.nounC1
Definition

the act of stating something in an exact and detailed way — for example, naming the exact parts that go into a product or the exact terms of a contract.

Example

The specification of each chemical ingredient helped the factory avoid production errors.

specification + of + [ingredients/details]

Clear specification of the payment terms prevented a legal dispute between the two companies.

Grammar Patterns

specification + of [something]

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

A specification is a complete written document that describes in detail what is needed for a product, building, or project. A requirement is one single thing that must be done or provided — for example, 'a battery life of eight hours' is a requirement, and many requirements together make up a specification. A standard is an established level of quality or performance set by an official body (such as ISO or IEEE), which a specification may refer to but does not create from scratch. A criterion (plural: criteria) is a principle or test used to make a judgment; it is more abstract than a requirement and often used in evaluation contexts. For example, a building specification might state that the windows must be double-glazed (requirement), which meets the local energy-efficiency standard, and the installer checks each window against the criterion of air-tightness.

specification ↗requirement ↗standard ↗criterion ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • in accordance with the specification
  • contrary to specification
  • to the specification

Prepositions

Etymology

LatinFrenchEnglish

Specification comes from medieval Latin 'specificatio', built from 'specificus' (of a particular kind) plus the suffix '-atio' (forming nouns of action). The verb 'specify' entered English in the 14th century from Old French 'specifier'. The noun form 'specification' first appeared in English in the 1600s, originally meaning 'the act of specifying'. During the Industrial Revolution of the 1800s, it gained the modern meaning of a written document listing the exact details required for manufacturing or construction.