Spécifiques

Spécifiques is the plural form of the French adjective spécifique, used to indicate that something belongs to a particular kind or has distinctive characteristics. In everyday language it describes traits that distinguish a thing from others, as in caractéristiques spécifiques, besoins spécifiques or effets spécifiques. The term is common in scientific, technical, and professional contexts, where it helps contrast particular properties with more general ones.

Etymology and sense: spécifique comes from Latin specificus, itself from species meaning kind or appearance. In French it entered through academic and scientific usage, gaining prominence in discussions of targeted or distinctive attributes. The word often appears in phrases that emphasize individuality or precision, such as a disease with a spécifique cause or a feature with a specific function.

Usage and nuance: in science, medicine, and technology, spécifique frequently contrasts with général or non spécifique to denote traits that are unique to a subject, organism, or device. For example, a médicament peut avoir une action spécifiquement ciblée, or une caractéristique spécifique d’un logiciel. The term also conveys the idea of suitability to a particular case, rather than universal applicability.

Grammatical notes: spécifice is an adjective that agrees with the noun in gender and number; the plural form is toujours spécifiques. Although specifiques can appear in some contexts as part of fixed expressions, French normally uses autres formulations such as spécificités, caractéristiques spécifiques, or détails spécifiques when referring to “the specifics” rather than the adjective itself. Related terms include spécificité (specificity) and spécifiquement (adverb).