generic

[juh-ner-ik]

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR generic ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective Also ge·ner·i·cal.

of, applicable to, or referring to all the members of a genus, class, group, or kind; general.

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.

noun

a generic term.

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).

Origin of generic

1670–80; < Latin gener- (see gender¹) + -ic

Related formsge·ner·i·cal·ly, adverbge·ner·i·cal·ness, nounnon·ge·ner·ic, adjectivenon·ge·ner·i·cal, adjectivenon·ge·ner·i·cal·ly, adverbpseu·do·ge·ner·ic, adjectivepseu·do·ge·ner·i·cal, adjectivepseu·do·ge·ner·i·cal·ly, adverbsu·per·ge·ner·ic, adjectivesu·per·ge·ner·i·cal·ly, adverbun·ge·ner·ic, adjectiveun·ge·ner·i·cal, adjectiveun·ge·ner·i·cal·ly, adverb

Synonyms for generic

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR generic ON THESAURUS.COM

4. general, nonproprietary, unrestricted.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Related Words for generic

universal, sweeping, comprehensive, blanket, collective, inclusive, wide, all-encompassing, nonexclusive

Examples from the Web for generic

Contemporary Examples of generic

But here we are at a generic hotel suite in downtown Toronto.
Adam Sandler Talks Getting Fired From ‘SNL,’ Bad Reviews, and His Desire to Play a Villain
Marlow Stern
September 12, 2014
Ketorolac, a generic, is considered a relatively nontoxic drug.
How Big Pharma Holds Back in the War on Cancer
ProPublica
April 23, 2014
Onstage, a trio of dancers in elaborate underwear sway lazily to generic synth beats.
And The Escort of The Year Is… Backstage at The Sex Oscars
Scott Bixby
March 24, 2014
Polls at that time found that the public favored Democrats 50% to 42% over Republicans in generic Congressional match ups.
6 Reasons This Could Be Obama’s Best Year as President
Dean Obeidallah
January 3, 2014
The latest Quinnipiac and Pew polls show Democrats with a 9-point generic edge, twice what it was in late August.
Shutdown Aversion: Republicans May Have Just Lost the House
Eleanor Clift
October 7, 2013

Historical Examples of generic

It grows in the form of a spathula, from which it receives its generic name.
The Mushroom, Edible and Otherwise
M. E. Hard
Both the generic and specific names refer to its many mouths.
The Mushroom, Edible and Otherwise
M. E. Hard
We speak of man in the generic sense, as including women also.
Aims and Aids for Girls and Young Women
George Sumner Weaver
There has been something both ideal and generic in American life.
The Psychology of Nations
G.E. Partridge
Then the generic and specific distinctions were very easy to establish.
Lamarck, the Founder of Evolution
Alpheus Spring Packard

British Dictionary definitions for generic

generic

generical

adjective

applicable or referring to a whole class or group; general

biology of, relating to, or belonging to a genusthe generic name

denoting the nonproprietary name of a drug, food product, etc

noun

a drug, food product, etc that does not have a trademark

Derived Formsgenerically, adverb

Word Origin for generic

C17: from French; see genus

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

Word Origin and History for generic

adj.

1670s, "belonging to a large group of objects," formed in English from Latin gener-, stem of genus "kind" (see genus) + -ic. Sense of "not special, not brand-name; in plain, cheap packaging," of groceries, etc., is from 1977.

generic in Medicine

generic

[jə-nĕr′ĭk]

adj.

Of or relating to a genus.

Relating to or descriptive of an entire group or class; general.

Of or relating to a drug sold under or identified by its official nonproprietary or chemical name.

n.

A drug sold under its generic name.