Dictionary

generalize en · VERB

Pronunciation

• /ˈd͡ʒen.(ə.)ɹə.laɪz/ (New-Zealand)
• [ˈd͡ʒen.(ə.)ɹə.lɑe̯z] (New-Zealand)
• /ˈd͡ʒen.(ə.)ɹə.lɑez/ (Australia)
• /ˈd͡ʒɛn.(ə.)ɹə.laɪz/ (Canada, General-American, Received-Pronunciation)
• (Southern-England) audio

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *ǵenh₁- Proto-Indo-European *-os Proto-Indo-European *ǵénh₁os Proto-Italic *genos Latin genus, generis Proto-Indo-European *h₂el- Proto-Indo-European *-is Proto-Indo-European *h₂élisder.? Proto-Italic *-ālis Latin -ālis Latin generālisbor. Anglo-Norman generalbor. Middle French generalbor. ▲ Latin generālisder. Middle English general English general Proto-Indo-European *-id- Proto-Indo-European *-yéti Proto-Indo-European *-idyéti Proto-Hellenic *-íd͏̌d͏̌ō Ancient Greek -ῐ́ζω (-ĭ́zō)bor. Late Latin -izōder. Middle French -iserbor. Middle English -isen English -ize English generalize From general + -ize.

Meanings

1. To speak in generalities, or in vague terms.
2. To infer or induce from specific cases to more general cases or principles.
   • Copernicus generalized the celestial motions by merely referring them to the moon's motion. Newton generalized them still more by referring this last to the motion of a stone through the air. 1795, William Nicholson, A Dictionary of Chemistry:
3. To spread throughout the body and become systemic.
4. To derive or deduce (a general concept or principle) from particular facts.
   • A mere conclusion generalized from a great multitude of facts. August 24, 1831, Samuel Taylor Coleridge, Truth and Maxims:

Forms

Antonyms

specialize (antonym(s) of “infer from specific cases”) · specify · instantiate (antonym(s) of “infer from specific cases”)

Deriveds

generaliser · generalizability · regeneralize · overgeneralize · generalizable · misgeneralize · degeneralize · generalisable · undergeneralize · generalist · generalisability · generalisation · generalizer · generalization

Hyponyms

blandify · beat around the bush · hedge · mince words · circumlocute · ramble · go around the houses · mince matters · overgeneralize · pussyfoot · undergeneralize · prevaricate · waffle

Relateds

general

Synonyms

generalize · genericize

Translations (61)

fi levitä (to spread throughout the body and become systemic) · da generalisere (to infer or induce from specific cases to more general cases or principles) · es generalizar (to speak in generalities, or in vague terms) · pl uogólniać (to speak in generalities, or in vague terms) · ka განზოგადება (to speak in generalities, or in vague terms) · ca generalitzar (to speak in generalities, or in vague terms) · sv generalisera (to speak in generalities, or in vague terms) · mk збо́рува о́пшто (to speak in generalities, or in vague terms) · oc generalizar (to speak in generalities, or in vague terms) · fr faire des amalgames (to speak in generalities, or in vague terms) · de verallgemeinern (to speak in generalities, or in vague terms) · gd ginearalaich (to infer or induce from specific cases to more general cases or principles) · bg разпространявам (to spread throughout the body and become systemic) · eo ĝeneraligi (to infer or induce from specific cases to more general cases or principles) · ro generaliza (to infer or induce from specific cases to more general cases or principles) · de verallgemeinern (to infer or induce from specific cases to more general cases or principles) · ru обобща́ть (to infer or induce from specific cases to more general cases or principles) · ar عَمَّمَ (to infer or induce from specific cases to more general cases or principles) · gl xeneralizar (to infer or induce from specific cases to more general cases or principles) · de pauschalisieren (to speak in generalities, or in vague terms) · pl uogólnić (to speak in generalities, or in vague terms) · cmn 歸納 /归纳 (to infer or induce from specific cases to more general cases or principles) · gl xeneralizar (to speak in generalities, or in vague terms) · de sich ausbreiten (to spread throughout the body and become systemic) · cmn 普遍化 (to infer or induce from specific cases to more general cases or principles) · it generalizzare (to infer or induce from specific cases to more general cases or principles) · mk ши́ри (to spread throughout the body and become systemic) · mk про́шири (to spread throughout the body and become systemic) · ro generaliza (to spread throughout the body and become systemic) · fi yleistää (to speak in generalities, or in vague terms) · sv generalisera (to infer or induce from specific cases to more general cases or principles) · de generalisieren (to infer or induce from specific cases to more general cases or principles) · fr généraliser (to infer or induce from specific cases to more general cases or principles) · ro generaliza (to speak in generalities, or in vague terms) · eo ĝeneraliĝi (to spread throughout the body and become systemic) · pt generalizar-se (to spread throughout the body and become systemic) · ru обобщи́ть (to infer or induce from specific cases to more general cases or principles) · gd ginearalaich (to speak in generalities, or in vague terms) · sl posplošiti (to infer or induce from specific cases to more general cases or principles) · pl uogólniać (to infer or induce from specific cases to more general cases or principles) · eo vastiĝi (to spread throughout the body and become systemic) · bg говоря общо (to speak in generalities, or in vague terms) · de generalisieren (to speak in generalities, or in vague terms) · cmn 全身擴散 /全身扩散 (to spread throughout the body and become systemic) · pt generalizar (to infer or induce from specific cases to more general cases or principles) · el γενικεύω (to infer or induce from specific cases to more general cases or principles) · ka განზოგადება (to infer or induce from specific cases to more general cases or principles) · bg обобщавам (to infer or induce from specific cases to more general cases or principles) · fi yleistää (to infer or induce from specific cases to more general cases or principles) · pl uogólnić (to infer or induce from specific cases to more general cases or principles) · cmn 籠統而談 /笼统而谈 (to speak in generalities, or in vague terms) · pt generalizar (to speak in generalities, or in vague terms) · pl generalizować (to speak in generalities, or in vague terms) · hu általánosít (to speak in generalities, or in vague terms) · vi nói chung chung (to speak in generalities, or in vague terms) · fr généraliser (to speak in generalities, or in vague terms) · acw عَمَّم (to infer or induce from specific cases to more general cases or principles) · mk о́бопшти (to infer or induce from specific cases to more general cases or principles) · fr généraliser (to spread throughout the body and become systemic) · cs zobecnit (to infer or induce from specific cases to more general cases or principles) · hi व्यापक करना (to infer or induce from specific cases to more general cases or principles)