generality
Americannoun
-
a principle or observation having general application, esp when imprecise or unable to be proved
-
the state or quality of being general
-
archaic the majority
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of generality
1400–50; late Middle English generalite < Latin generālitās. See general, -ity
Explanation
If your mom says, "What have you been up to?" and you reply, "Ah, stuff," you have used a generality. It's the opposite of being specific, of saying, "Well, I shop lifted and picked my nose." Politicians speak in generalities––they want to cut the deficit and keep taxes low, but they don't want to tell you exactly how they will do that. Generalities can also refer to conclusions we draw about the world: If you say people at baseball games like to eat hot dogs, you've used a generality. Maybe people at baseball games eat hot dogs because there's nothing else to buy.
Vocabulary lists containing generality
The First State of Being
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Vocabulary Video Contest (2013) - List 2
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5th Grade Government Vocabulary, List 6
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
But that sweeping generality about serenity’s devaluation could easily apply to any culture, Hayao Miyazaki might say.
From Salon ● Jul. 15, 2026
But what level of generality is appropriate for this analysis?
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 1, 2026
This is obviously a gross generality, but it really feels true to me that people here tend to take a more optimistic tone.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 9, 2025
Progressive originalists generally respond to this obstacle by defining rights at a higher level of generality.
From Slate ● May 8, 2024
And here a generality concerning the growth of American cities, seemingly true of all of them I know.
From "Travels with Charley in Search of America" by John Steinbeck
Speaking in generalities about institutions, the rule of law, and the inheritance of American democracy, he named no president and aired no specific grievance.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 1, 2026
Trafficking in generalities rarely leads to universal truth.
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 4, 2024
By contrast, if someone hasn't actually stayed at, say, the hotel they are reviewing, or didn't dine at the restaurant they are writing about, they'll use abstract generalities loosely related to the experience.
From Salon ● Oct. 8, 2024
When Ms Harris did turn to policy details, she spoke in generalities.
From BBC ● Aug. 23, 2024
There did not seem to be any further question that he wanted to ask; still less did he feel any impulse to utter high-sounding generalities.
From "1984" by George Orwell
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
