Meaning of generalize in English

Table of contents
  1. Pronunciation
  2. Verb
    1. Etymology
    2. Definitions

  1. Pronunciation

    /ˈdʒɛn(ə)rəˌlaɪz/

    US accent Play button

    UK accent Play button

  1. Verb

    generalize

    Etymology

    Middle English (in the sense ‘reduce to a general statement’): from general+ -ize

    Definitions

    1. draw from specific cases for more general cases

    Derived terms

  2. 2. speak or write in generalities

    Antonyms

    Derived terms

  3. 3. cater to popular taste to make popular and present to the general public

    Examples

    • « bring into general or common use »
    • « They popularized coffee in Washington State »
    • « Relativity Theory was vulgarized by these authors »

    Derived terms

  4. 4. become systemic and spread throughout the body

    Examples

    • « this kind of infection generalizes throughout the immune system »

Famous quotes

  • « So when you do your family tree and Margaret Cho does hers, and... Wanda Sykes and John Legend... we're adding to the database that scholars can then draw from to generalize about the complexity of the American experience. And that's the contribution that family trees make to broader scholarship. »
    Henry Louis Gates
  • « I don't like to generalize but I've had nothing but bad experiences with Mexican food in Europe. »
    Ezra Koenig
  • « To generalize on women is dangerous. To specialize on them is infinitely worse. »
    Rudolph Valentino

Browse dictionary