specimen

noun

spec·​i·​men ˈspe-sə-mən How to pronounce specimen (audio)
ˈspes-mən
Synonyms of specimennext
1
a
: an individual, item, or part considered typical of a group, class, or whole
b
: a portion or quantity of material for use in testing, examination, or study
a urine specimen
2
a
: something that obviously belongs to a particular category but is noticed by reason of an individual distinguishing characteristic
b
: person, individual
he's a tough specimen
3
: a plant grown for exhibition or in the open to display its full development
specimen trees

Synonyms of specimen

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instance, case, illustration, example, sample, specimen mean something that exhibits distinguishing characteristics in its category.

instance applies to any individual person, act, or thing that may be offered to illustrate or explain.

an instance of history repeating itself

case is used to direct attention to a real or assumed occurrence or situation that is to be considered, studied, or dealt with.

a case of mistaken identity

illustration applies to an instance offered as a means of clarifying or illuminating a general statement.

a telling illustration of Murphy's Law

example applies to a typical, representative, or illustrative instance or case.

a typical example of bureaucratic waste

sample implies a part or unit taken at random from a larger whole and so presumed to be typical of its qualities.

show us a sample of your work

specimen applies to any example or sample whether representative or merely existent and available.

one of the finest specimens of the jeweler's art

Examples of specimen in a Sentence

The church is a magnificent specimen of baroque architecture. Her dance partner is a superb physical specimen.
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Among them, despite the doctors’ suspicions, 80% did not turn out to have evidence of tumors in their specimens, says Cercek. — Alice Park, Time, 21 Oct. 2026 The species was discovered by re-examining old scorpionfish specimens collected in the 1970s. — Aspen Pflughoeft, Sacbee.com, 20 Oct. 2026 This could offer a taste of what’s to come when scientists finally get their hands on specimens directly from the surface of Mars, a significantly more difficult undertaking than a sample return from Phobos. — Stephen Clark, ArsTechnica, 20 Oct. 2026 The characters are petrified like specimens, expressing and embodying only what fits into the film’s design, with no potential for inconvenient loose ends for viewers to follow outside the frame’s borders. — Richard Brody, New Yorker, 20 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for specimen

Word History

Etymology

Latin, from specere to look at, look — more at spy

First Known Use

1610, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of specimen was in 1610

Phrases Containing specimen

Rhymes for specimen

See All Rhymes for specimen

Browse Nearby Words

specify
specimen
specimen plant
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Cite this Entry

“Specimen.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/specimen. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

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Kids Definition

specimen

noun
spec·​i·​men ˈspes-(ə-)mən How to pronounce specimen (audio)
1
: a part or a single thing that shows what the whole thing or group is like : sample
2
: a portion of material for use in testing or examination
a blood specimen
3
: person sense 1, individual
he's a tough specimen

Medical Definition

specimen

noun
spec·​i·​men ˈspes-(ə-)mən How to pronounce specimen (audio)
1
: an individual, item, or part typical of a group, class, or whole
2
: a portion or quantity of material for use in testing, examination, or study
a urine specimen
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