Look and See: spec, spect, spic (look)

The words on this list all derive from the Latin verb specere, meaning "to look."
15 words 50 learners

Learn words with Flashcards and other activities

Definition First
Print Flashcards

Other learning activities

Answer a few questions about each word. Use this to prep for your next quiz! Compete with other teams in real time to see who answers the most questions correctly! Test your spelling acumen. Read the definition, listen to the word and try spelling it!

Teaching tools

Create and assign quizzes to your students to test their vocabulary. Assign learning activities including Practice, Vocabulary Jams and Spelling Bees to your students, and monitor their progress in real-time.

Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. inspect
    come to see in an official or professional capacity
    "Sometimes they came to inspect the mine, but they just came to the entrance, they never went down to see where we work." BBC (May 17, 2014)
  2. circumspect
    careful to consider potential consequences and avoid risk
    I am practical and circumspect; he is impulsive and direct. Orphan Train
    circum ("around") + specere
  3. disrespect
    show a lack of regard for
    They disrespect you, they look down on you. The Guardian (Jan 4, 2013)
  4. retrospect
    contemplation of things past
    The source of the mistake looks clear in retrospect. Time (May 8, 2014)
    retro ("back") + specere
  5. suspect
    imagine to be the case or true or probable
    At least no one would suspect me of knowing much about spycraft. The Cruel Prince
    sub ("from below") + specere
  6. introspective
    given to examining own sensory and perceptual experiences
    Instead of looking at what others are doing, learn to be introspective. Nature (Jul 18, 2019)
    intro ("inward") + specere + ive (suffix forming adjectives)
  7. perspective
    a way of regarding situations or topics
    Humor helps us see our life from a new perspective and it also allows us to come up with creative solutions to our problems. Forbes (May 22, 2014)
    per ("through") + specere + ive (suffix forming adjectives)
    Despite looking like an adjective, perspective is typically used as a noun to refer to a way of looking at the world.
  8. prospective
    of or concerned with or related to the future
    Builders' outlook for sales of single-family homes over the next six months and traffic by prospective buyers each increased since April. Seattle Times (May 15, 2014)
    pro ("forward") + specere + ive (suffix forming adjectives)
  9. specimen
    an example regarded as typical of its class
    As a teenager, he started volunteering at the Los Angeles Zoo, where he befriended curators and zookeepers, and went on to assist in studying and collecting reptile and amphibian specimens from around the world. Los Angeles Times (Aug 15, 2019)
    In Latin, specimen means "indication or evidence."
  10. specious
    plausible but false
    I can only conclude that this reasoning is specious at best, for none can see the future of paths we do not take. Newsweek (Sep 10, 2013)
  11. speculate
    believe, especially on uncertain or tentative grounds
    Some scientists speculated that if a pilot succeeded in pushing his plane through the sound barrier, either the plane or the pilot or both would disintegrate from the force of the shock waves. Hidden Figures
    In Latin, speculatus is the past participle of the verb speculari, "to observe," which comes from specere, "to look."
  12. spectacle
    something or someone seen, especially a notable sight
    What I had before me was a spectacle of wind and water, an earthquake of the senses, that even Hollywood couldn’t orchestrate. Life of Pi
  13. conspicuous
    obvious to the eye or mind
    This means that it is impossible for such a conspicuous jellyfish with large population numbers to have remained unnoticed until now. Scientific American (May 15, 2014)
  14. perspicacious
    acutely insightful and wise
    It is a mirror of two eyes; they are clear, shrewd, perspicacious, and bold; they are the eyes of a Frenchman. Rolland, Romain
    per ("through") + specere + -acious (Latin: word forming element)
  15. auspicious
    indicating favorable circumstances and good luck
    “The horoscope book said this is a most auspicious day,” he told Uncle. Dragonwings
    avis ("bird") + specere + ous (suffix forming adjectives)
    This word traces back to the Roman practice of looking at the flights, singing, feeding, or internal organs of birds to figure out what the gods were telling them about future events.
Created on Fri Jun 06 14:09:32 EDT 2025

Sign up now (it’s free!)

Whether you’re a teacher or a learner, Vocabulary.com can put you or your class on the path to systematic vocabulary improvement.