Specification

How it is used

Often shortened to 'spec'. Suppliers and customers agree on and sign specifications, and a product is either 'in spec' or 'out of spec'. Retailers usually require a finished product specification for each item, and buyers compare deliveries against the raw material specification.

Example sentences

1. The specification allows a maximum of 0.5 percent foreign matter in the raisins.

2. This lot does not meet the specification for moisture, so it goes on hold.

Common collocations

• product specification
• raw material specification
• out of spec
• meet the specification
• agree a specification

Related terms

• raw materialA basic material, such as milk, flour, fruit or meat, that a factory receives and processes to make its products.
• certificate of analysisA document from a supplier or laboratory that shows the test results for a specific batch and confirms that it meets the agreed specification.
• nonconformityA failure to meet a requirement, such as a specification, a procedure, a standard or the law, found in a product, a process or during an audit.
• quality controlThe checks, measurements and tests carried out on raw materials, products in process and finished goods to make sure they meet the agreed specifications.
• samplingTaking a small, representative part of a batch or lot for testing, so that the result can be used to judge the whole quantity.

This word in other fields

The same English word can have a different meaning in another field:

• specification · Mechanical Engineering
• specification · Civil Engineering & Construction
• specification · Architecture
• specification · Interior Design

More terms: Quality Control and Analysis

• sensory evaluation
• texture
• viscosity