generally

American  

[jen-er-uh-lee] / ˈdʒɛn ər ə li /

adverb

1. usually; commonly; ordinarily.

   He generally comes home at noon.

   Antonyms:

   seldom

2. with respect to the larger part; for the most part.

   a generally accurate interpretation of the facts.

3. without reference to or disregarding particular persons, things, situations, etc., that may be an exception.

   generally speaking.

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generally British  

/ ˈdʒɛnrəlɪ /

adverb

1. usually; as a rule

2. commonly or widely

3. without reference to specific details or facts; broadly

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Synonym Usage

See often.

Etymology

Origin of generally

First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English; general + -ly

Explanation

Generally means "usually" or "broadly." If something is generally true, it is usually true. If you generally dislike birthday celebrations, don’t be mad when no one throws you a party. If something is right generally, then it's right most of the time, though perhaps not in every case. Generally, dogs are more playful than cats. Generally, young people are healthier than old people. Generally, people like music. This word is handy when you need to say something that is true for most, but not all, people or things. This word helps you to generalize.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

generally

But generally, presidents were very, very good about asking their lawyers, or as the foreign emoluments provision says, asking Congress.

From Slate ● Aug. 17, 2026

Medical professionals need to know how people are using the jabs and managing any side effects and "men are generally less likely to seek medical advice, or leave it longer".

From BBC ● Aug. 17, 2026

"The box office generally slows during the second half of August as kids start returning to school, but right now business remains extremely strong," said industry analyst David A. Gross.

From Barron's ● Aug. 16, 2026

Scientists had generally assumed that phenols and indoles were produced only by gut bacteria.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 15, 2026

The other 20 percent, bearing lower credit ratings, generally were more difficult to sell, but they could, incredibly, simply be piled up in yet another heap and reprocessed yet again, into more triple-A bonds.

From "The Big Short" by Michael Lewis

Related Words

• broadly
• commonly
• customarily
• largely
• mostly
• normally
• ordinarily
• publicly
• roughly
• typically
• universally
• usually
• widely