Specificity refers to the ability of a test or measurement to correctly identify those without a condition, often expressed as the proportion of true negatives among all individuals without the condition. In a medical context, high specificity means that the test accurately identifies healthy individuals, minimizing false positive results. It is an important metric in evaluating the effectiveness of diagnostic tests alongside sensitivity, which measures true positive rates. Specificity helps ensure that individuals are not incorrectly diagnosed, reducing unnecessary anxiety and interventions.