English
specificity
From specific + -ity, perhaps modelled after French spécificité.
Formed from specific + -ity
Proto-Indo-European *speḱ- ‘to see’
…
Latin speciō ‘to see’
Latin speciēs ‘kind’
Late Latin specificus ‘specific’
Old French specifique
English specific
first attested First attested in 1829 (as stated in Wiktionary’s etymology)
The story
From specific + -ity, perhaps modelled after French spécificité. First attested in 1829.
Today it means
noun The state of being specific rather than general.
Sources
Sources: Wiktionary, “specificity”. By Wiktionary contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0, via kaikki.org (dump of Oct 3 2026); text adapted and restructured. Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word. License.
Etymograph / specificity