What does specimen mean?
A specimen is an individual item taken for examination, testing, or display. The term is especially common in science and medicine, where a specimen might be a blood sample, a plant, a mineral, or another physical example collected for study. It is also used more broadly for a person who is treated as a distinctive or representative example, often with the implication that the person is unusual in some way. In museums and taxonomic work, a specimen may be the individual from which a type is formally identified. “Specimen” generally conveys deliberate selection and close examination, making it more technical than the everyday word “sample.” A single object can be called a specimen, while the collection of objects being studied may also be referred to collectively as specimens.
nounAn individual item or sample taken for examination or study, especially as evidence of a type, quality, or condition. It may also refer to a person regarded as a characteristic or unusual example.
- An item selected from a material, population, or collection for analysis, testing, or display.
- An individual serving as an example of a particular type or characteristic.
- A person regarded as an unusual or representative example.
"The laboratory examined a blood specimen from the patient."
"The botanist preserved each plant specimen with its identifying label."
"She was an unusual specimen of independence in the conservative community."
The regular plural is used when referring to multiple items or individuals selected for examination or study.
"Several specimens were collected from different locations."
From the Latin root for “to look,” a specimen is literally something presented for inspection.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does specimen come from?
The English word was borrowed in the late 16th century from Latin specimen, meaning “example,” “sample,” or “sign.” Latin specimen was formed from specere, “to look at,” so its original sense was connected with something observed as an example. The root also appears in related English words such as species, spectacle, spectator, and inspector.
How specimen is actually used
The word is common in scientific, medical, museum, and academic contexts. In general use it may sound slightly formal or technical, and it can suggest something selected for close examination rather than a representative group.
Easily confused with specimen
A specimen is an individual item selected for examination or display, whereas a sample can also refer to a larger portion or representative group.