Definition of "nonspecific" []

• Of or relating to an infection not known to be caused by a specific pathogen: nonspecific urethritis. (adjective)
• Of or relating to immunity that occurs naturally as a result of a person's genetic makeup or physiology and does not arise from a previous infection or vaccination. (adjective)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

• "Formerly known as nonspecific vaginitis, or Gardnerella, the name of this disease was changed to bacterial vaginosis BV when researchers discovered how many different strains of bacteria were capable of causing essentially the same type of vaginal infection."
• "[24] be called a nonspecific factor - namely, labor."
• "About 20 percent of folks with arachnoid cysts do have headaches, but they're kind of nonspecific and rarely do they require any specific treatment."