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Specific vs Positive - What's the difference?

specific | positive |

As nouns the difference between specific and positive

is that specific is a distinguishing attribute or quality while positive is .

As an adjective specific

is explicit or definite.

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

    * * * ----

    positive

    English

    Adjective

    (en adjective)
  • (legal) Formally laid down.
  • * Hooker
    • In laws, that which is natural bindeth universally; that which is positive , not so.
  • Stated definitively and without qualification.
  • * :
    • Positive words, that he would not bear arms against King Edward’s son.
  • Fully assured in opinion.
    • I’m absolutely positive you've spelt that wrong.
  • (mathematics) Of number, greater than zero.
  • Characterized by constructiveness or influence for the better.
  • * :
    • a positive voice in legislation.
  • Overconfident, dogmatic.
  • * :
    • Some positive , persisting fops we know, That, if once wrong, will needs be always so.
  • (chiefly, philosophy) Actual, real, concrete, not theoretical or speculative.
  • * :
    • Positive good.
  • (physics) Having more protons than electrons.
    • A cation is a positive ion as it has more protons than electrons.
  • (grammar) Describing the primary sense of an adjective, adverb or noun; not comparative, superlative, augmentative nor diminutive.
    • ‘Better’ is an irregular comparative of the positive form ‘good’.
  • Derived from an object by itself; not dependent on changing circumstances or relations; absolute.
    • The idea of beauty is not positive , but depends on the different tastes of individuals.
  • Characterized by the existence or presence of distinguishing qualities or features, rather than by their absence.
    • The box was not empty – I felt some positive substance within it.
  • Characterized by the presence of features which support a hypothesis.
    • The results of our experiment are positive .
  • (photography) Of a visual image, true to the original in light, shade and colour values.
    • A positive photograph can be developed from a photographic negative.
  • Favorable, desirable by those interested or invested in that which is being judged.
    • The first-night reviews were largely positive .
  • Wholly what is expressed; colloquially downright, entire, outright.
    • Good lord, you've built up a positive arsenal of weaponry here.
  • Optimistic.
    • He has a positive outlook on life.
  • (chemistry) electropositive
  • (chemistry) basic; metallic; not acid; opposed to negative, and said of metals, bases, and basic radicals.
  • (slang) HIV positive.
  • (New Age jargon) Good, desirable, healthful, pleasant, enjoyable; (often precedes 'energy', 'thought', 'feeling' or 'emotion').
    • 2009 , Christopher Johns, Becoming a Reflective Practitioner , John Wiley & Sons, p. 15
    Negative feelings can be worked through and their energy converted into positive' energy... In crisis, normal patterns of self-organization fail, resulting in anxiety (negative energy). Being open systems, people can exchange this energy with the environment and create ' positive energy for taking action...

    Synonyms

    * (sense, steadfast in one's knowledge or belief) certain, sure, wis

    Antonyms

    * (physics) negative * (mathematics) nonpositive * (doubtful) uncertain, unsure * (spiritual quality) bad, evil, nongood

    Derived terms

    * positivism * dipositive * positive crystal * positive degree * positive electricity * positive eyepiece * positive law * positively * positive motion * positive philosophy * positive pole * positive quantity * positive rotation * positive sign * positive contribution * tripositive * unipositive

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • A thing capable of being affirmed; something real or actual.
    • (South)
  • A favourable point or characteristic.
  • Something having a positive value in physics, such as an electric charge.
  • (grammar) An adjective or adverb in the positive degree.
  • (photography) A positive image; one that displays true colors and shades, as opposed to a negative.
  • The positive plate of a voltaic or electrolytic cell.