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Specific vs Exclusive - What's the difference?

specific | exclusive |

As adjectives the difference between specific and exclusive

is that specific is explicit or definite while exclusive is excluding items or members that do not meet certain conditions.

As nouns the difference between specific and exclusive

is that specific is a distinguishing attribute or quality while exclusive is information (or an artefact) that is granted or obtained exclusively.

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

    *

    exclusive

    English

    Adjective

    (en adjective)
  • (literally) Excluding items or members that do not meet certain conditions.
  • (figuratively) Referring to a membership organisation, service or product: of high quality and/or reknown, for superior members only. A snobbish usage, suggesting that members who do not meet requirements, which may be financial, of celebrity, religion, skin colour etc., are excluded.
  • Exclusive''' clubs tend to serve ' exclusive brands of food and drinks, in the same exorbitant price range, such as the 'finest' French châteaux.
  • exclusionary
  • whole, undivided, entire
  • ''The teacher's pet commands the teacher's exclusive attention.

    Antonyms

    * inclusive * non-exclusive

    Derived terms

    * exclusively * exclusiveness * exclusive or * exclusive right * exclusivity * mutually exclusive

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • Information (or an artefact) that is granted or obtained exclusively.
  • ''The editor agreed to keep a lid on a potentially distastrous political scoop in exchange for an exclusive of a happier nature
  • (grammar) A word or phrase that restricts something, such as only'', ''solely'', or ''simply .