Generalise (Verb)
Meaning 1
Cater to popular taste to make popular and present to the general public; bring into general or common use; "They popularized coffee in Washington State"; "Relativity Theory was vulgarized by these authors".
Classification
Verbs of telling, asking, ordering, singing.
Examples
- His music was deliberately aimed at a mass audience, intent to generalise and bring his unique sound to the forefront of popular culture.
- The new smartphone app helped to generalise mobile payment systems, making it easier for people to pay bills and make purchases using their phones.
- The famous scientist's mission was to generalise complex theories into simple language that everyone could understand.
- The fashion designer attempted to generalise streetwear, turning what was once an underground trend into a staple of high-end fashion.
- By starring in a blockbuster film, the actor helped to generalise the character he portrayed and make it a household name.
Synonyms
Hypernyms
Meaning 2
Speak or write in generalities.
Classification
Verbs of telling, asking, ordering, singing.
Examples
- It's hardly fair to generalise and assume all teenagers are lazy because of the actions of a few.
- He tends to generalise, categorising people as either friends or enemies with little room for middle ground.
- Be careful not to generalise your observations about an entire culture based on a short visit.
- In his argument, he ignored individual variations and chose to generalise about a complex issue.
- Avoid the mistake of generalising about people's abilities based solely on their education.
Synonyms
Hypernyms
Related Words
Meaning 3
Become systemic and spread throughout the body; "this kind of infection generalizes throughout the immune system".
Classification
Verbs of grooming, dressing and bodily care.
Examples
- In severe cases, the infection generalises rapidly throughout the entire body, leading to organ failure.
- The disease can generalise from a localised outbreak to become a widespread epidemic if left untreated.
- Once the virus generalises and spreads to major organs, it becomes much harder to treat effectively.
- If not managed quickly, this infection can generalise and trigger a severe reaction in the entire immune system.
- When the infection generalises and reaches the central nervous system, it often becomes life-threatening for the patient.
Synonyms
Hypernyms
Meaning 4
Draw from specific cases for more general cases.
Classification
Verbs of telling, asking, ordering, singing.
Examples
- Based on their successful marketing campaign last quarter, we can generalise that social media advertising will be effective across various product lines.
- She generalised her limited understanding of one form of martial arts to assume that all martial arts styles require intense physical exertion.
- From the success of online courses at a few top universities, educators began to generalise that digital learning can be an effective alternative to traditional classroom instruction.
- Her experience with one notoriously difficult boss led her to generalise that all management positions would be as demanding and unpleasant.
- Research suggests that scientists can safely generalise their findings on the effects of pollution from specific ecosystems to similar ecosystems worldwide.