Dictionary

genericization en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• /dʒəˌnɛɹɪsɪˈzeɪʃən/
• /dʒəˌnɛɹɪsaɪˈzeɪʃən/
• (Southern-England) audio

Etymology

Etymology tree English generic 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 Proto-Indo-European *-tis Proto-Indo-European *-Hō Proto-Indo-European *-tiHō Proto-Italic *-tiō Latin -tiō Latin -ātiōlbor. Old French -ationbor. Middle English -acioun English -ation English -ization English genericization From generic + -ization.

Meanings

1. (countable, uncountable) The process of becoming generic; an instance of it.
   • Near-synonyms: genericized trademark (an instance produced by the process); see also Thesaurus:generalization
2. (uncountable) With respect to a trademark, the act or process of becoming so widely identified as a reference for a type of product as to cease representing a particular brand or manufacturer of that type of product.
   • Successful companies have strategies to protect their trademarks and fend off the creep of genericization, Mr. Taylor said. 2024 September 19, Scott Cacciola, “Tupperware (the Brand) May Fail. Tupperware (the Word) Will Survive.”, in The New York Times:
3. (countable) An instance of this act or process; a generic name thus created.

Forms

Hypernyms

appellativization · generic name

Synonyms

despecification · genericization · genericide · genericized trademark · trademark erosion · universalization · generalization · abstraction