generalist

American  

[jen-er-uh-list] / ˈdʒɛn ər ə lɪst /

noun

1. 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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generalist British  

/ ˈdʒɛnrə-, ˈdʒɛnərəlɪst /

noun

1. 1. a person who is knowledgeable in many fields of study

   2. ( as modifier )

      a generalist profession

2. ecology an organism able to utilize many food sources and therefore able to flourish in many habitats Compare specialist

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Etymology

Origin of generalist

First recorded in 1605–15; general + -ist

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

generalist

Some departments are so small they lack enough work for a full-time finance person, for instance, so they hire a generalist who splits their time between numerous tasks.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 17, 2026

Loper Bright’s critics warned of more litigation, less national uniformity, and generalist judges second-guessing technical experts.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 24, 2026

The illness is caused by the generalist parasite Plasmodium relictum and has played a central role in the steep declines and extinctions of native Hawaiian honeycreepers.

From Science Daily ● Feb. 11, 2026

“There’s nervousness and anxiety,” said Ruben Hovhannisyan, generalist portfolio manager, fixed income, at TCW, noting that longer-duration bond yields were rising around the globe Tuesday.

From MarketWatch ● Jan. 20, 2026

The challenge, as always, was to play the role of market generalist without also playing the role of fool at the poker table.

From "The Big Short" by Michael Lewis