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Explicit vs Specific - What's the difference?

explicit | specific |

As adjectives the difference between explicit and specific

is that explicit is very specific, clear, or detailed while specific is explicit or definite.

As a noun specific is

a distinguishing attribute or quality.

explicit

English

Adjective

(en adjective)
  • Very specific, clear, or detailed.
    • I gave explicit instructions for him to stay here, but he followed me, anyway.
  • (euphemism) Containing material (e.g. language or film footage) that might be deemed offensive or graphic.
    • The film had several scenes including explicit language and sex.
  • (obsolete)

    • Synonyms

    * express, manifest, overt * (containing offensive material) raunchy

    Antonyms

    * implicit, unexplicit, vague * (containing offensive material) circumspect

    Derived terms

    * explicitation * explicitly * explicitness

    Related terms

    * explicate * explication * explicator

    External links

    * * ----

    specific

    English

    Alternative forms

    * specifick (obsolete)

    Adjective

    (en adjective)
  • explicit or definite
  • (sciences) Pertaining to a species.
  • *2008 , (Richard Dawkins), The Oxford Book of Modern Science Writing , Oxford 2009, p. 3:
  • *:Science and literature, then, are the two achievements of Homo sapiens that most convincingly justify the specific name.
  • (taxonomy) pertaining to a taxon at the rank of species
  • special, distinctive or unique
  • intended for, or applying to a particular thing
  • being a remedy for a particular disease
    • Quinine is a specific medicine in cases of malaria.
  • * Coleridge
    • In fact, all medicines will be found specific in the perfection of the science.
  • (immunology) limited to a particular antibody or antigen
  • (physics) of a value divided by mass (e.g. specific orbital energy)
  • (physics) similarly referring to a value divided by any measure which acts to standardize it (e.g. thrust specific fuel consumption, referring to fuel consumption divided by thrust)
  • (physics) a measure compared with a standard reference value by division, to produce a ratio without unit or dimension (e.g. specific refractive index is a pure number, and is relative to that of air)

    • Antonyms

    * all-purpose * broad * general * general-purpose * generic * gross * nonspecific * overall * pandemic * universal * unspecific * widespread

    Derived terms

    * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

    See also

    * generic

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • A distinguishing attribute or quality.
  • Something particularly adapted for a particular use, as a remedy for a particular disorder
  • Specification
  • (in the plural) The details; particulars.

    • Derived terms

    *

    External links

    * * * ----