unspecific

IPA/ˌʌn.spəˈsɪf.ɪk/
IPA/ˌʌn.spəˈsɪf.ɪk/

unspecific — adjective

  • unspecificpositive
  • more unspecificcomparative
  • most unspecificsuperlative

1. describing something that lacks enough detail or precision for you to know exact

1.adjectiveB2
Definition

describing something that lacks enough detail or precision for you to know exactly what is meant or referred to

Example

Aoi's repair manual was too unspecific for her to fix the leaky pipe alone.

too + unspecific + to-infinitive pattern

Kian found his manager's feedback frustratingly unspecific — just a vague comment with no clear suggestions.

find + object + unspecific

Common collocations
  • unspecific about
  • unspecific answer
  • unspecific instructions
  • unspecific symptoms
  • unspecific feedback
  • deliberately unspecific
Synonyms
  • vague

    more common in everyday speech; implies intentional or unintentional lack of clarity

  • imprecise

    focuses on lack of exactness rather than lack of detail

  • ambiguous

    stronger — suggests the meaning could be interpreted in more than one way

  • general

    neutral register; can be positive or negative depending on context

Antonyms
  • specific

    the direct opposite; clear, exact, and detailed

  • precise

    emphasises exactness and accuracy

  • detailed

    contains many specific pieces of information

Grammar Patterns

be + unspecific

unspecific + noun

find + noun + unspecific

Usage Note

Frequently used with 'too' to indicate that the level of detail is insufficient for a purpose. Also common in medical and professional contexts where precision matters.

Common Mistakes

The time of the meeting was left unspecific.' (when meaning 'not stated')
The time of the meeting was left unspecified.
'unspecified' means not stated or mentioned; 'unspecific' means lacking detail rather than absent.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/1

All four words describe a lack of clarity, but they differ in emphasis and connotation. 'Vague' is the most common everyday word and can imply that the speaker is being unclear on purpose or simply does not know the details. 'Ambiguous' is more technical and suggests that something has more than one possible meaning — a sentence that could be understood in two different ways is ambiguous, not just vague. 'Imprecise' focuses on numeric or factual inexactness: an imprecise measurement is off by some amount. 'General' is the most neutral and can be positive in some contexts (a general overview is helpful as a starting point), whereas calling something 'unspecific' is nearly always a criticism. For example: 'She gave a general outline of the plan' sounds fine, but 'She gave an unspecific outline' sounds like a complaint.

vague ↗ambiguous ↗imprecise ↗general ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • leave something unspecific
  • remain unspecific about something

Prepositions

Etymology

LatinEnglish

Formed in modern English by adding the negative prefix 'un-' to the adjective 'specific', which comes from the Latin word 'specificus' meaning 'of a particular kind'. While 'specific' has been in English since the 1600s, the negated form 'unspecific' is a later development and remains less common than 'non-specific', which is often preferred in scientific and medical writing.

First known use

1807

1807, in the meaning defined above