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Specificity

By , About.com Guide

Updated May 13, 2008

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Definition: How accurately a test detects people who do not have a disease.

If 100 people are free from a disease, then a test that is 98% specific will correctly tell 98 of those people that they are not infected and will incorrectly tell 2 people that they have the disease when they do not. Compare to: sensitivity

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