generalize

B2 Topic:Communication

Also spelled generalise and generalised

US /ˈd͡ʒen.(ə.)ɹə.lɑez/ UK /ˈd͡ʒɛn.(ə.)ɹə.laɪz/ See IPA manual

Freq #55213

Meanings

1

verb
To make a broad statement that is supposed to apply to many cases, based on only a few examples.

It is unfair to generalize about a whole country from one bad experience.
2

verb
To talk or write in a vague, general way without giving details.

He tends to generalize instead of answering the specific question.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 verb · to make a broad statement... extrapolate infer

More genericize

Opposites

instantiate specialize specify

Word family

Forms generalisinggeneralizedgeneralizesgeneralizing

Derived forms degeneralizegeneralisabilitygeneralisablegeneralisationgeneralisergeneralistgeneralizabilitygeneralizablegeneralizationgeneralizermisgeneralizeovergeneralize

Related forms general

External links

# generalize

**Type:** Word
**Level:** B2
**Part of speech:** verb
**IPA (US):** /ˈd͡ʒen.(ə.)ɹə.lɑez/
**IPA (UK):** /ˈd͡ʒɛn.(ə.)ɹə.laɪz/
**Frequency rank:** 55213

## Meanings
1. To make a broad statement that is supposed to apply to many cases, based on only a few examples.
2. To talk or write in a vague, general way without giving details.

## Examples
- It is unfair to generalize about a whole country from one bad experience.
- He tends to generalize instead of answering the specific question.

## Synonyms
- genericize

## Antonyms
- instantiate
- specialize
- specify

## Derived Forms
- degeneralize
- generalisability
- generalisable
- generalisation
- generaliser
- generalist
- generalizability
- generalizable
- generalization
- generalizer
- misgeneralize
- overgeneralize

## Related Forms
- general

## Etymology
From general + -ize.

## AI Etymology
Generalize comes from general + -ize. In current use, the main senses are “To make a broad statement that is supposed to apply to many cases, based on only a few examples” and “To talk or write in a vague, general way without giving details”.

## Topics
- Communication
- Actions & Processes

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generalize

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