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.
A federal appeals court revived more than 500 lawsuits that allege Tylenol and generic acetaminophen can cause attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder or autism if taken during pregnancy.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 13, 2026
Wedding list service Prezola says it has seen a rise in couples inviting guests to pay for specific experiences rather than a generic cash pot.
From BBC ● Jul. 2, 2026
I needed to fill a prescription for a 90-day supply of a generic drug that isn’t covered by my insurance plan.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 23, 2026
The super PACs have nondescript names — such as Jobs and Democracy PAC and American Mission — and the text is so generic that it almost seems to have been created by artificial intelligence.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 21, 2026
The side-by-side comparisons of these paper towels, versus some other, more generic towels.
From "The Sea in Winter" by Christine Day
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.
