specifying

verb

present participle of specify
1
as in defining
to give the rules about (something) clearly and exactly the document specifies precisely how you may use the information it contains

Synonyms & Similar Words

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2
as in mentioning
to make reference to or speak about briefly but specifically police reports didn't specify the model of car the robbers were driving

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of specifying Two days after Marius was convicted, the palace said Mette-Marit had undergone a successful ⁠lung transplant, without specifying when the procedure took place. — Terje Solsvik, USA Today, 28 Aug. 2026 Asking for space—and specifying when the conversation will resume—can protect a relationship by giving both people time to calm down. — Angela Haupt, Time, 26 Aug. 2026 Trump’s top trade negotiator, Jamieson Greer, pledged additional measures to respond to Canada’s retaliation, without immediately specifying what that would look like. — Wyatte Grantham-Philips, Los Angeles Times, 24 Aug. 2026 The resulting analysis showed that sellers were very much aware of any legal issues associated with the sale and shipment of mummified human remains, often specifying geographical locations where laws forbid such transfers. — Jennifer Ouellette, ArsTechnica, 24 Aug. 2026 Commissioner Dough Chew answered a few questions after the meeting concluded, specifying that the incident is not a criminal matter and the human resources department is investigating. — Christopher Derose, CBS News, 20 Aug. 2026 On July 31, 1849, newspapers reported that Porter had died suddenly at the Executive Mansion, without specifying a cause of death. — Sophie Clausen, PEOPLE, 17 Aug. 2026 After years of fraught negotiations between the states failed to yield a deal, federal authorities have stepped in and are expected to publish a plan in the coming days specifying the exact reductions required of states through 2028. — Laura Paddison, CNN Money, 16 Aug. 2026 Without specifying which operators, Trost added platforms within the space also have a responsibility in following regulation, rather than working around it. — Ananya Chetia, CNBC, 15 Aug. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for specifying
  1. defining
  2. mentioning
  3. prescribing
  4. citing
  5. noticing
  6. indicating
  7. noting
  8. quoting
Verb
  • The plight of immigrants is one of the defining moral issues of our time, and more and more big name musicians are following the trail Parton blazed so long ago.
    — Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 26 Aug. 2026
  • By defining other civilizations as alien cultures, a civilizationist grand strategy might fuel antagonism rather than tolerate differences.
    — Leonard A. Schuette, Foreign Affairs, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of defining
Verb
  • People are citing price levels, including by mentioning oil and gas prices; food; and also war and conflict.
    — Eleanor Mueller, semafor.com, 29 Aug. 2026
  • One example is museums’ wall labels now mentioning tainted or dubious provenance.
    — Devorah Lauter, ARTnews.com, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of mentioning
Verb
  • For his final question, Reddington asked about whether Clancy's thyroid should have been checked via bloodwork when doctors were prescribing her a number of different psychiatric medications over the course of just a few months.
    — Rebecca Cohen, NBC news, 24 Aug. 2026
  • During the years that the journal spent considering how to respond to the university’s request for a retraction, more doctors across the country began prescribing naltrexone.
    — Amy Yurkanin, ProPublica, 24 Aug. 2026
Definition of prescribing
Verb
  • According to a report on Wednesday from The Information, citing a person familiar with the matter, another 22 former Salesforce employees at OpenAI are in talks to return.
    — Jordan Novet, CNBC, 28 Aug. 2026
  • In August 2025, Cartwright filed for divorce citing irreconcilable differences.
    — Liza Esquibias, USA Today, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of citing
Verb
  • In one video from Mailung, in Nepal’s Rasuwa region, a group of construction workers was seen walking down a mountain path before noticing giant plumes of brown debris in the distance, rapidly cascading toward them.
    — Laura Saravia, NBC news, 27 Aug. 2026
  • As the children played and the adults talked, Rose kept noticing her husband looking toward the water, scanning the horizon.
    — Daryl Austin, USA Today, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of noticing
Verb
  • Despite cost pressures continuing to affect match-going fans, every English top-flight club has a waiting list in operation for season tickets, indicating that demand remains high.
    — Matt Woosnam, New York Times, 26 Aug. 2026
  • The police also obtained records from one of Sellars’ social media accounts indicating that, 90 minutes after the shooting, someone used the account to search for news of a fatal shooting in Stamford.
    — Edmund H. Mahony, Hartford Courant, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of indicating
Verb
  • In line with that argument, reporting on California’s latest lawsuit underscores how central mail-in ballots have become, noting that more than 89% of voters used mail ballots in the state’s June primary.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 31 Aug. 2026
  • But Crabtree rejected his request, noting that his financial resources included the two homes — one valued at $792,000 that carried no mortgage — two debt-free cars and $36,000 a month in pensions.
    — Judy L. Thomas, Kansas City Star, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of noting
Verb
  • Sources tell the Journal that Apple is quoting a nine-figure budget for this program, but the deals might not include AI training rights.
    — Jibin Joseph, PC Magazine, 13 Aug. 2026
  • Sales adds quoting tools, Finance installs billing systems and RevOps layers on dashboards.
    — Ashish Srimal, Forbes.com, 12 Aug. 2026
Definition of quoting

Browse Nearby Words

specify
specifying
specimen
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Cite this Entry

“Specifying.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/specifying. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

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