specimen

noun

ˈspes-mən How to pronounce specimen (audio)
Definition of specimennext
1
as in example
one of a group or collection that shows what the whole is like chose one frog as a good specimen of the breed

Synonyms & Similar Words

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2
as in person
a member of the human race he's a particularly handsome specimen

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How is the word specimen distinct from other similar nouns?

Some common synonyms of specimen are case, example, illustration, instance, and sample. While all these words mean "something that exhibits distinguishing characteristics in its category," specimen applies to any example or sample whether representative or merely existent and available.

one of the finest specimens of the jeweler's art

When could case be used to replace specimen?

While in some cases nearly identical to specimen, 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

When would example be a good substitute for specimen?

The words example and specimen can be used in similar contexts, but example applies to a typical, representative, or illustrative instance or case.

a typical example of bureaucratic waste

In what contexts can illustration take the place of specimen?

In some situations, the words illustration and specimen are roughly equivalent. However, illustration applies to an instance offered as a means of clarifying or illuminating a general statement.

a telling illustration of Murphy's Law

When can instance be used instead of specimen?

The meanings of instance and specimen largely overlap; however, instance applies to any individual person, act, or thing that may be offered to illustrate or explain.

an instance of history repeating itself

Where would sample be a reasonable alternative to specimen?

Although the words sample and specimen have much in common, 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

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 specimen In some cases, the groundhogs are taxidermied specimens. —Don Sweeney, Sacbee.com, 1 Feb. 2026 Currently on display within the Minerals and Earth Science Collection are toxic, radioactive specimens that could potentially kill people, as well as a meteorite that fell in Pennsylvania several years ago. —Julia Jacobo, ABC News, 21 Jan. 2026 Some of those specimens are not at the state health lab. —Joseph Choi, The Hill, 20 Jan. 2026 For herpetologists, these three discrepancies alone instantly made Najash one of the most crucial specimens for understanding snake origins and limb loss. —Scott Travers, Forbes.com, 17 Jan. 2026 See All Example Sentences for specimen
Recent Examples of Synonyms for specimen
  1. example
  2. person
  3. sample
  4. man
  5. guy
  6. life
  7. creature
  8. individual
Noun
  • Whole fruit, for example, behaves very differently than cookies or candy.
    — Deirdre Bardolf, FOXNews.com, 11 Feb. 2026
  • In Major League Baseball, for example, a pitcher recovering from a torn ulnar collateral ligament in the elbow may be unable to load that arm for up to two months following surgery.
    — Dana Santas, CNN Money, 10 Feb. 2026
Definition of example
Noun
  • Don’t accept an argument from an authority because that person is an authority.
    — Big Think, Big Think, 10 Feb. 2026
  • Measles is highly contagious and can spread through the air when an infected person breathes, talks, coughs or sneezes.
    — N'dea Yancey-Bragg, USA Today, 10 Feb. 2026
Definition of person
Noun
  • Facilities require adequate time to design and install the groundwater monitoring system, collect eight independent samples, and conduct statistical analysis.
    — Maya Wilkins, Chicago Tribune, 13 Feb. 2026
  • Flying is the company’s second Nova-C lander named Athena featuring NASA’s PRIME-1 drill, to land a drill and mass spectrometer near the south pole of the moon in order to demonstrate the feasibility of in-situ resource utilization (ISRU) and measure the volatile content of subsurface samples.
    — Richard Tribou, The Orlando Sentinel, 13 Feb. 2026
Definition of sample
Noun
  • Athletes from seven different countries, including Japan, rank among the top 10 in the current women’s World Cup standings compared to just the traditional four for men.
    — Dana ONeil, CNN Money, 10 Feb. 2026
  • Machado wrote in a post on X that Juan Pablo Guanipa, a key ally, was kidnapped by heavily armed men in civilian clothing in the Los Chorros area of the capital.
    — Ashley Carnahan, FOXNews.com, 9 Feb. 2026
Definition of man
Noun
  • Bernthal plays doomed Sonny, who’s hoping to pay for his lover’s gender-affirming operation; his longtime pal and costar on The Bear plays volatile Sal, the loneliest guy in the world.
    — Jenny Lumet, Vanity Fair, 10 Feb. 2026
  • You guys took a few years off in the mid-Seventies just as prog was reaching its peak of popularity.
    — Andy Greene, Rolling Stone, 10 Feb. 2026
Definition of guy
Noun
  • Her life’s work was stolen early Monday when thieves swiped a shipping box containing many of her puppets from outside her Beachwood Canyon apartment.
    — Alex Wigglesworth, Los Angeles Times, 11 Feb. 2026
  • Food preferences begin in the first years of life, so the findings of the study are alarming, said Jane Houlihan, research director for Healthy Babies, Bright Futures, an alliance of nonprofits, scientists and donors with a mission of reducing babies’ exposures to neurotoxic chemicals.
    — Sandee LaMotte, CNN Money, 11 Feb. 2026
Definition of life
Noun
  • Researchers also learned that these 7- to 10-pound creatures, which are not much larger than a house cat, are impressively agile and travel about seven miles a day in extremely rugged territory.
    — Clara Harter, Los Angeles Times, 11 Feb. 2026
  • The indentations in the squishy mud harkened to a creature that had webbed toes and distinct claws.
    — Sophie Hartley, IndyStar, 11 Feb. 2026
Definition of creature
Noun
  • At one point, the individual appears to tilt their head away from a doorbell camera, hold a flashlight in their mouth and attempt to cover the lens with a gloved hand and what looked like part of a plant pulled from the yard.
    — Bradford Betz , Matt Finn, FOXNews.com, 11 Feb. 2026
  • Prior to detaining a person, authorities released security footage showing a masked individual approaching Nancy Guthrie's front door on the morning of her disappearance.
    — Ramon Padilla, USA Today, 11 Feb. 2026
Definition of individual

Browse Nearby Words

specifying
specimen
specimens
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Cite this Entry

“Specimen.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/specimen. Accessed 14 Feb. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on specimen

Nglish: Translation of specimen for Spanish Speakers

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