generic
Americanadjective
-
of, applicable to, or referring to all the members of a genus, class, group, or kind; not specific; general.
- Antonyms:
- specific
-
of, relating to, or noting a genus especially in biology.
-
(of a word) applicable or referring to both men and women.
a generic pronoun.
-
not protected by trademark registration.
“Cola” and “shuttle” are generic terms.
- Synonyms:
- unbranded
-
having no distinguishing characteristics; commonplace.
There are a lot of generic interviews, and the lack of unique perspective you get from interviewers is somewhat shocking.
noun
-
something that is generic.
-
any product, as a type of food, drug, or cosmetic commonly marketed under a brand name, that is sold in a package without a brand.
-
a wine made from two or more varieties of grapes, with no one grape constituting more than half the product (distinguished from varietal).
adjective
-
applicable or referring to a whole class or group; general
-
biology of, relating to, or belonging to a genus
the generic name
-
denoting the nonproprietary name of a drug, food product, etc
noun
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of generic
First recorded in 1670–80; from Latin gener- ( see gender 1) + -ic
Explanation
Generic refers to the members of a whole class of things — like "tissue," a generic word for any soft, thin piece of paper that's good for wiping runny noses. A generic product, whether it's a tire or donut or drug, is typical of all other products like it. There's nothing distinctive or unique about it. A generic fan looks and acts just like dozens of other fans — it doesn't spin backwards or send out sparks. Generic aspirin doesn't have a trademark, like Bayer or St. Joseph: it's just plain aspirin.
Vocabulary lists containing generic
100 SAT Words Beginning with "G"
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The Perks of Being a Wallflower
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Uglies
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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.
It took weeks before Australia was notified via an email to a generic inbox.
From BBC ● Oct. 6, 2026
In early K-pop, fans supported artists by waving coloured balloons or generic glow sticks.
From BBC ● Sep. 27, 2026
The generic competitor could hurt Ipsen’s 2027 earnings, Jefferies analysts wrote in a note.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 21, 2026
Though the generic was already priced in, consensus forecasts for Ipsen earnings might be “a couple of percent too high,” JPMorgan analysts said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 21, 2026
Faded, generic, fraying in a bunch of spots.
From "Popcorn" by Rob Harrell
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.
