What term is used to identify a specific person, place, or thing?

The term that is used to identify a specific person, place, or thing is a proper noun. Proper nouns are distinct in that they name specific entities and always begin with a capital letter. For example, "New York," "Eiffel Tower," and "Alice" are all proper nouns because they refer to unique individuals or locations.

In contrast, options like collective nouns refer to groups of people or things (e.g., "team," "flock"), while abstract nouns represent concepts or ideas that cannot be physically touched (e.g., "love," "freedom"). Adverbs, on the other hand, modify verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs, typically describing how an action is performed (e.g., "quickly," "silently"). Thus, the definition and characteristics of proper nouns clearly align with the identification of specific entities.