generic

English

Wikipedia

Alternative forms

• generick

Etymology

Formed in English from Latin gener- (“genus, kind”) +‎ -ic.

Pronunciation

• IPA: /dʒɪˈnɛɹɪk/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɛrɪk

Adjective

generic (comparative more generic, superlative most generic)

1. Very comprehensive; pertaining or appropriate to large classes or groups as opposed to specific

   • "...the essence is that such self-describing poets describe what is in them, but not peculiar to them,---what is generic, not what is special and individual." — Walter Bagehot (1826-1877)

2. (biology) Of, or relating to a genus (not comparable)
3. Not having a brand name
4. Of a drug identified by its chemical name
5. (grammar) Specifying neither masculine nor feminine e.g. salesperson
6. (computing) (Of program code) Written so as to operate on any data type, the type required being passed as a parameter.

Synonyms

• (comprehensive): general

Antonyms

• (comprehensive): specific, proprietary
• non-generic

Translations

very comprehensive

Arabic: إِجْمالِيّ (ar), جامِع (ar), شامِل (ar), شُمُولِيّ (ar), عامّ (ar), عُمُومِيّ (ar), عَمِيم (ar), كُلِّيّ (ar), مُحِيطٌ (ar), مُطْلَق (ar) Finnish: yleinen (fi), yleis- (fi), geneerinen (fi) French: générique (fr)

German: allgemein (de), generisch (de), typisch (de) Ido: generala (io) Norwegian: generisk (no) Spanish: genérico (es) Turkish: genelleyici (tr), kapsamlı (tr)

of, or relating to a genus

Finnish: suku- German: artmäßig (de), gattungsmäßig (de), arttypisch (de) Norwegian: generisk (no)

Scottish Gaelic: gneitheach (gd) Turkish: cinsle ilgili (tr), familyaya āit (tr), soyuna özgü (tr), eşdeğer (tr)

not having a brand name

French: générique (fr)

Norwegian: merkelo/s (no), generisk (no)

of a drug identified by its chemical name

Dutch: generiek (nl) French: générique (fr)

Greek: γενόσημο (el) (genósimo) n. Norwegian: generisk (no) Spanish: genérico (es)

specifying neither masculine nor feminine e.g. salesperson

Norwegian: kjo/nnsno/ytral (no)

(computing) written so as to operate on any data type

German: generisch (de)

Turkısh: generic (tr), üreysel (tr)

Noun

generic (plural generics)

1. A product sold under a generic name
2. A wine that is a blend of several wines, or made from a blend of several grape varieties
3. (grammar) A term that specifies neither male nor female.
   • 1998, Jacqueline A. Dienemann, Nursing administration: managing patient care

     […] a male-centered perspective […] has resulted in false generics in everyday life […]

Translations

A product sold under a generic name

Finnish: geneerinen tuote

A wine that is a blend of several wines, or made from a blend of several grape varieties

Related terms

• gender
• genus