generalist

[ jen-er-uh-list ]

/ ˈdʒɛn ər ə lɪst /

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noun

a person whose knowledge, aptitudes, and skills are applied to a field as a whole or to a variety of different fields (opposed to specialist).

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Origin of generalist

First recorded in 1605–15; general + -ist

Words nearby generalist

general election, General Grant tree, general headquarters, general hospital, generalissimo, generalist, generality, generalization, generalize, generalized coordinate, generalized other

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use generalist in a sentence

She told TechCrunch that while the venture firm is a generalist, it is rooted in fintech and fintech infrastructure.
Paystand banks $50M to make B2B payments cashless and with no fees|Christine Hall|July 23, 2021|TechCrunch
It seems generalist investors are recognizing that edtech investments can reap outsized returns, similar to sectors like deep tech, health tech and fintech.
The 2021 edtech avalanche has just begun|Ram Iyer|July 1, 2021|TechCrunch
I would also say that the perception that will come out in the survey of generalists in these areas may not consider some of the more advanced artificial intelligence capabilities that might be six months, a year, or two years down the road.
Embracing the rapid pace of AI|MIT Technology Review Insights|May 19, 2021|MIT Technology Review
It was definitely easier to be a generalist than it is today.
The Charmed Life of Frank Wilczek - Issue 98: Mind|Nell Freudenberger|March 17, 2021|Nautilus

On the contrary, there are plenty of brands that offer snow pants for the avid generalist—but, sometimes, that means you’ll be shelling out for the perfect pair.
Best snow pants to keep you cozy (and active) all winter long|PopSci Commerce Team|February 25, 2021|Popular-Science
Finally if there is anything left over we can explore the possibility of outsourcing the task to a specialist or generalist.
How To Create Your Own User Manual|Ari Meisel|February 18, 2014|DAILY BEAST
You could be a generalist—a poet/mollusk scientist/seafarer/surgeon.
A.J. Jacobs: How I Write|Noah Charney|May 29, 2013|DAILY BEAST
Even more wistfully, he was a passionate generalist in a time in which our ideas and expertise have become more and more silo-ed.
We Need More Moynihans|John Avlon|October 18, 2010|DAILY BEAST
He can do more for you and knows more of your case in five minutes' observation than the generalist would in three months.
Dollars and Sense|Col. Wm. C. Hunter
What we have said about the specialist we could repeat by taking the opposite of the question for the generalist.
Dollars and Sense|Col. Wm. C. Hunter
Woe to the specialist who is not a pretty fair generalist, and woe to the generalist who is not also a bit of a specialist.
The Note-Books of Samuel Butler|Samuel Butler
Make the generalist think of himself in connection with large movements.
Analyzing Character|Katherine M. H. Blackford and Arthur Newcomb
Pleasure and recreation are the only things in which an individual should be a generalist.
Dollars and Sense|Col. Wm. C. Hunter

British Dictionary definitions for generalist

generalist

/ (ˈdʒɛnərəlɪst, ˈdʒɛnrə-) /

noun

a person who is knowledgeable in many fields of study
(as modifier)a generalist profession

ecology an organism able to utilize many food sources and therefore able to flourish in many habitatsCompare specialist (def. 3)

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012