specifics
specifics — noun
1. the exact points and facts about a plan or subject, rather than the broad idea o
the exact points and facts about a plan or subject, rather than the broad idea of it
Everyone liked the travel plan, but nobody had worked out the specifics yet.
the specifics = exact details not yet decided
Aylin agreed to help with the party but first wanted the specifics: date, place, budget.
the specifics = listed details
Trang stopped the meeting before the team got lost in the specifics of the budget.
The manager liked the idea but asked Devika to put the specifics in writing.
When reporters pressed Eitan for the specifics of the deal, he refused to say more.
- details
everyday word for the same idea; 'specifics' sounds slightly more precise
- particulars
more formal; common in legal or official writing
- fine points
stresses the small, easily missed details
- generalities
broad statements that avoid exact detail
- overview
the big picture rather than the detailed points
文法句型
the specifics of + noun
go into the specifics
用法筆記
Almost always plural and usually preceded by 'the'; you discuss 'the specifics of' a plan or topic. Contrast with the singular adjective 'specific', which describes one particular thing.
常見錯誤
2. a drug that works against one named illness and is used mainly to treat that ill
a drug that works against one named illness and is used mainly to treat that illness
For centuries quinine was the only reliable specific against malaria.
a specific against + disease
In her village clinic, Dr. Amira still kept willow bark as a specific for fever.
a specific for + named illness
Medieval healers travelled far to find a specific that would cure the plague.
Manuela's grandmother kept a drawer of old specifics, each labelled for one ailment.
文法句型
a specific for + disease
用法筆記
Rare and old-fashioned; found mostly in historical or medical writing. Distinguish from sense 1 (the plural 'exact details'): this medicinal sense is countable and can be singular ('a specific').