universal

English

Etymology

From Middle English universal, from Old French universal (French universel), from Latin universalis.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˌjuːnɪˈvɜːsl̩/
• IPA^(key): /ˌjunɪˈvɝsl̩/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɜː(ɹ)səl
• Hyphenation: uni‧ver‧sal

Adjective

universal (comparative more universal, superlative most universal)

1. Of or pertaining to the universe.
2. Common to all members of a group or class.
   • 1922, Henry Ford, My Life and Work:

     I had been planning every day through these years toward a universal car.

   • 1911, 1911 Encyclopædia Britannica:

     In Logic, the letter A is used as a symbol for the universal affirmative proposition in the general form "all x is y."

3. Common to all society; worldwide

   She achieved universal fame.
4. unlimited; vast; infinite
5. Useful for many purposes; all-purpose.

   universal wrench

Synonyms

• (common to all members of a group or class): general; see also Thesaurus:generic
• (unlimited): see also Thesaurus:infinite
• (useful for many purposes): general-purpose, multi-purpose

Antonyms

• nonuniversal

Derived terms

• universalise, universalize
• universal quantifier

Related terms

• universe
• university
• universality

Translations

of or pertaining to the universe

• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 宇宙的 (yǔzhòu de)

• Esperanto: universa
• Finnish: yleismaailmallinen (fi), universaali (fi), kosminen (fi)
• French: universel (fr)
• Galician: universal
• Greek: παγκόσμιος (el) (pagkósmios)
• Ido: universala (io)
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Persian: جهانی (fa)
• Polish: kosmiczny (pl)
• Portuguese: universal (pt)
• Russian: вселе́нский (ru) (vselénskij), косми́ческий (ru) (kosmíčeskij)
• Slovene: vesoljski
• Spanish: universal (es)
• Tagalog: sansinukbin

common to all members of a group or class

• Armenian: համամարդկային (hy) (hamamardkayin)
• Belarusian: агу́льны m (ahúlʹny)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 普遍 (zh) (pǔbiàn), 全體的／全体的, 全体的 (quántǐ de)

• Dutch: algemeen (nl)
• Finnish: yleinen (fi), yleis-; yleispätevä
• French: universel (fr)
• German: allgemein (de), Allgemein-, universell (de)
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Greek: παγκόσμιος (el) (pagkósmios)

  Ancient: καθολικός (katholikós)

• Irish: comhchoiteann
• Latin: ūniversālis
• Polish: ogólny (pl), powszechny (pl)
• Portuguese: universal (pt)
• Russian: всео́бщий (ru) (vseóbščij)
• Slovene: univerzalen
• Spanish: universal (es)

common to all society, world-wide

• Armenian: համամարդկային (hy) (hamamardkayin)
• Belarusian: агу́льны (ahúlʹny)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 全世界的 (quánshìjiè de)

• Dutch: universeel (nl), wereldwijd (nl)
• Finnish: maailmanlaajuinen (fi)
• French: universel (fr)
• Galician: universal
• German: weltweit (de), Welt-, universell (de)
• Greek: παγκόσμιος (el) (pagkósmios)

  Ancient: καθολικός (katholikós)

• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Haitian Creole: inivèsèl
• Hebrew: עולמי
• Irish: uilechoiteann
• Latin: ūniversālis
• Malay: sejagat, universal
• Portuguese: universal (pt)
• Russian: всео́бщий (ru) (vseóbščij), глоба́льный (ru) (globálʹnyj), всесторо́нний (ru) (vsestorónnij), всеми́рный (ru) (vsemírnyj), общечелове́ческий (ru) (obščečelovéčeskij)
• Slovene: univerzalen
• Spanish: universal (es)
• Turkish: evrensel (tr)

cosmic, unlimited

• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 無限／无限 (zh) (wúxiàn), 无限 (zh) (wúxiàn), 無窮／无穷 (zh) (wúqióng), 无穷 (zh) (wúqióng)

• Finnish: rajaton (fi), ääretön (fi)
• German: kosmisch (de)
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Portuguese: universal (pt)
• Russian: вселе́нский (ru) (vselénskij), косми́ческий (ru) (kosmíčeskij)
• Spanish: universal (es)

useful for many purposes

• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 萬用／万用 (wànyòng), 万用 (wànyòng), 萬能／万能 (zh) (wànnéng), 万能 (zh) (wànnéng)

• Czech: všestranný (cs) m, univerzální (cs) m
• Dutch: universeel (nl)
• Finnish: yleis-, yleiskäyttöinen (fi)
• German: universell (de), Universal-, All-
• Greek: παγκόσμιος (el) (pagkósmios)
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Hungarian: univerzális (hu)
• Polish: uniwersalny (pl)
• Portuguese: universal (pt)
• Russian: универса́льный (ru) (universálʹnyj), всесторо́нний (ru) (vsestorónnij)
• Slovene: univerzalen
• Spanish: universal (es)
• Turkish: evrensel (tr)

The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.

Translations to be checked

• Arabic: ^{(please verify)} عَالَمِيّ (ʕālamiyy)
• Esperanto: ^{(please verify)} universala
• French: ^{(please verify)} universel (fr) m, ^{(please verify)} universelle (fr) f
• German: ^{(please verify)} allgemein (de), ^{(please verify)} Universal-, ^{(please verify)} universell (de)
• Hungarian: ^{(please verify)} egyetemes (hu)
• Ido: ^{(please verify)} universala (io)
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Italian: ^{(please verify)} universale (it) m or f
• Japanese: ^{(please verify)} 全世界の (ぜんせかいの, zensekai no)
• Korean: ^{(please verify)} 우주의 (uju-ui), ^{(please verify)} 전세계의 (jeonsegye-ui)
• Latin: ^{(please verify)} universalis
• Spanish: ^{(please verify)} universal (es) m or f
• Swedish: ^{(please verify)} universell (sv) (2), ^{(please verify)} universal- (sv) (3)

See also

• universal on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
• general
• global

Further reading

• “universal”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC.
• “universal”, in The Century Dictionary […], New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911, →OCLC.

Noun

universal (plural universals)

1. (philosophy) A characteristic or property that particular things have in common.
   • 1912, Bertrand Russel, The Problems of Philosophy, Chapter 9:

     When we examine common words, we find that, broadly speaking, proper names stand for particulars, while other substantives, adjectives, prepositions, and verbs stand for universals.

   • 1970, John R. Searle, Speech acts‎^[1]:

     We might also distinguish those expressions which are used to refer to individuals or particulars from those which are used to refer to what philosophers have called universals: e.g., to distinguish such expressions as "Everest" and "this chair" from "the number three", "the color red" and "drunkenness".

See also

• particular

Further reading

• S:Catholic Encyclopedia (1913)/Universals
• The Medieval Problem of Universals - Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy

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Catalan

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): (Central) [u.ni.βərˈsal]
• IPA^(key): (Balearic) [u.ni.vərˈsal]
• IPA^(key): (Valencia) [u.ni.veɾˈsal]

Adjective

universal m or f (masculine and feminine plural universals)

1. universal

Further reading

• “universal” in Diccionari de la llengua catalana, segona edició, Institut d’Estudis Catalans.

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Galician

Adjective

universal m or f (plural universais)

1. of or pertaining to the universe
2. world-wide, universal, common to all cultures

Synonyms

• (world-wide): mundial

Related terms

• universalidade
• universo

Further reading

• “universal”, in Dicionario da Real Academia Galega (in Galician), A Coruña: Royal Galician Academy, since 2012

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German

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /univɛʁˈzaːl/
• Rhymes: -aːl

• Audio

  (file)

Adjective

universal (comparative universaler, superlative am universalsten)

1. universal

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Middle English

Alternative forms

• universall, unyversal, universalle, universell, uniyversale, universele, universel

Etymology

From Old French universel, from Latin ūniversālis; equivalent to universe +‎ -al.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /iu̯niˈvɛrsal/, /iu̯nivɛrˈsaːl/, /iu̯niˈvɛrsɛl/

Adjective

universal

1. all-encompassing, subject to everything and everyone; having universal significance.
2. (Late Middle English) absolute, subject to everything in a given area or subject (e.g. a settlement; a person)
3. (Late Middle English) frequently practiced, usual, customary.
4. (Late Middle English, rare) Given total leeway and control; with universal power.
5. (Late Middle English, rare) unbiased, unprejudiced, nonpolitical
6. (Late Middle English, rare) general, non-specific, generic
7. (Late Middle English, philosophy, rare) unformed, uncreated, unmade.
8. (Late Middle English, philosophy, rare) theoretical, abstract, general.

Derived terms

• universalite
• universally

Descendants

• English: universal

References

• “ūniversā̆l (adj.)”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007, retrieved 2018-04-31.

Noun

universal

1. (Late Middle English, philosophy, rare) A category, class, or classification.

Descendants

• English: universal

References

• “ūniversā̆l (adj.)”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007, retrieved 2018-04-31.

Determiner

universal

1. (Late Middle English) The whole, all of, every portion of, all parts of.
2. (Late Middle English, rare) Every kind of; all sorts of

References

• “ūniversā̆l (adj.)”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007, retrieved 2018-04-31.

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Old French

Adjective

universal m (oblique and nominative feminine singular universale)

1. universal

Descendants

• → English: universal
• French: universel

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Piedmontese

Alternative forms

• üniversal

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ynivɛrˈsal/

Adjective

universal

1. universal

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Portuguese

Etymology

From Latin universalis.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /u.ni.vɨɾ.ˈsaɫ/
• Hyphenation: u‧ni‧ver‧sal

Adjective

1. Of or pertaining to the universe; universal.
2. Common to all society; universal; world-wide.
3. Common to all members of a group or class; universal.

Quotations

For quotations using this term, see Citations:universal.

Related terms

• universalidade
• universo

Further reading

• Template:R:DAN

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Spanish

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /unibeɾˈsal/ [u.ni.β̞eɾˈsal]
• Hyphenation: u‧ni‧ver‧sal

Adjective

universal m or f (masculine and feminine plural universales)

1. universal

Related terms

• universalidad
• universalmente

Anagrams

• vulneráis