those specific individuals

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "those specific individuals" is correct and usable in written English.
You can use it when referring to particular people in a context where their distinct identity is important. Example: "The committee will only consider the applications submitted by those specific individuals who meet the criteria."

✓ Grammatically correct

Formal & Business

News & Media

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

4 human-written examples

An employee can not only see what moves others have made, they can also reach out and connect to those specific individuals to talk with them about their experience.

Harvard Business Review

This is not a duty imposed by the law upon all, the violation of which gives rise to a tort action, but a duty arising out of the intentions of the parties themselves and owed only to those specific individuals to whom the promise runs.

Harvard University

"I'll be making some decisions on those specific individuals here fairly soon," he told reporters.

HuffPost

In addition to identifying those specific individuals with the highest titres to PGL-I, thus establishing their higher risk to succumb to disease, serologic data also enabled us to identify those households most at risk of leprosy.

BMC Infectious Diseases

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

56 human-written examples

Community-based research often involves ethical, legal, and social considerations beyond those of the specific individuals involved in the study.

Environmental Health Perspectives

He posits that this is necessary because CBR often involves additional ethical, legal, and social considerations beyond those of the specific individuals involved in the study.

Environmental Health Perspectives

Community-based research often involves additional ethical, legal, and social considerations beyond those of the specific individuals involved in the study.

Environmental Health Perspectives

And for "The English Prize," the dispersed contents of several of its crates have been reassembled, allowing us to discern not just the tastes and interests of the Grand Tourists in general, but those of specific individuals as well.

The New York Times

The robot — which company officials are in the process of naming — can assign those objects to specific individuals whose faces it has memorized, so that, for example, a child's toy picked up off the floor doesn't end up in an adult's closet.

The Washington Post

In his book, Bloom argues that empathy can lead us astray by directing our compassion and generosity toward specific individuals, usually those who are part of our own group, at the expense of helping more people.

University of California, Berkeley

Incredibly, only in the following year are those lump sums allocated to specific individuals' accounts.

Forbes

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "those specific individuals", ensure the context makes it clear who these individuals are, either through prior mention or a shared understanding.

Common error

Avoid using "those specific individuals" in casual conversation; it can sound overly formal or even pretentious. Opt for simpler phrasing like "those people" or "them."

Linguistic Context

The phrase "those specific individuals" functions as a determiner phrase, specifically identifying a subset of people from a larger group. It is used to single out certain people for attention or consideration, as shown in the Ludwig examples.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

News & Media

38%

Science

31%

Formal & Business

31%

Less common in

Academia

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "those specific individuals" is a determiner phrase used to precisely identify a group of people. While grammatically correct, as confirmed by Ludwig AI, its usage is relatively rare and tends to appear in more formal contexts, such as news articles, scientific papers, and business communications. When clarity and precision are paramount, "those specific individuals" is the right choice. However, avoid using it in casual conversation, where it can sound stilted or pretentious. Simpler alternatives like "those people" or "the individuals concerned" may be more appropriate in less formal settings.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

Those particular individuals

Replaces "specific" with "particular", emphasizing a distinct subset.

Those very individuals

Uses "very" for added emphasis on the individuals in question.

The individuals in question

A more formal way to refer to individuals already mentioned or understood.

The aforementioned individuals

Refers to individuals previously mentioned in the text.

The individuals concerned

Highlights the individuals who are relevant to the matter at hand.

Those designated individuals

Emphasizes that the individuals have been officially chosen or appointed.

The selected people

Focuses on the act of choosing or selecting the individuals.

These individuals

A more general alternative using "these" instead of "those".

Certain individuals

Indicates that the individuals are known but not necessarily named.

The people involved

Refers to people who are participating in or affected by something.

FAQs

How can I use "those specific individuals" in a sentence?

You can use "those specific individuals" to refer to a particular group of people you've already mentioned or are about to describe in more detail. For example, "The new policy will only affect "those specific individuals" who joined after 2024".

What's a simpler alternative to "those specific individuals"?

Depending on the context, you could use phrases like "those people", "the people involved", or "the individuals concerned".

Is it ever incorrect to use "those specific individuals"?

While grammatically correct, using "those specific individuals" can sound overly formal in casual settings. In such cases, a more relaxed phrasing like "those folks" or "them" may be more appropriate.

What distinguishes "those specific individuals" from "any individuals"?

"Those specific individuals" refers to a defined, particular group, whereas "any individuals" refers to anyone without limitation. The former is selective, the latter is inclusive.