generic
Noun pluralgenerics
Pluralgenerics
- 1Sold without a brand name, and the same as other products of its kind.
Like buying the store's own cola instead of a famous label: same drink, lower price.
Generic painkillers cost much less than the brand-name versions.
The store sells a generic version of the popular cereal.
Similarunbranded, nonproprietary, no-name
Oppositebranded, proprietary
Note
- 2
- 3Plain and ordinary, with nothing special to make it stand out.
Like a face in a crowd that you forget the moment you look away.
The hotel room was clean but completely generic.
Critics called the movie a generic action flick with no fresh ideas.
Similarbland, unoriginal, nondescript, formulaic, derivative
Oppositedistinctive, original, unique, individual
- 4Vague and unclear, often on purpose to avoid giving a real answer.
Like answering "we'll see" when someone asks an important question.
The politician gave a generic reply that promised nothing.
Her generic excuse left everyone guessing what really happened.
Similarvague, noncommittal, bland, nonspecific, evasive
- 5A product sold without a brand name, usually for less money.
Like the store-brand soup next to the famous one: same food, cheaper box.
The pharmacist offered a generic instead of the expensive brand.
Many shoppers buy generics to save money.
- 6In computer code, made to work with any kind of data, not just one type.
Like a box that can hold toys, books, or food: it doesn't care what goes inside.
The team wrote a generic function that sorts numbers, words, or dates.
A generic list can hold any type of item you put in it.
Similarparameterized, polymorphic, templated
Oppositeconcrete, specialized
Note
- 7Having to do with a type or style of art, like books, films, or music.
Like sorting songs into rock, pop, or jazz: each kind has its own feel.
The class studied the generic features that make a story a fairy tale.
Westerns follow certain generic rules about heroes and villains.
Note
- 8Having to do with gender.
- 9About a group of closely related living things, not one single species.
Like a family last name shared by everyone in the family, not each person's first name.
The scientist used the generic name shared by all these related plants.
Lions and house cats belong to different generic groups.
Oppositespecific
Note
- 10Not showing whether someone or something is male or female.
Like the word "friend," which fits a boy or a girl the same way.
English uses the generic word "they" to avoid saying he or she.
We picked a generic name that works for a boy or a girl.
Similarunisex, neutral, epicene, gender-neutral
Oppositegendered, gender-specific
Note
- 11A word that does not show whether someone is male or female.
Like the word "child," which works for a boy or a girl.
The writer chose a generic instead of "waiter" or "waitress."
Style guides recommend generics like "spokesperson."
Note
- 12In a place name, the word that says what kind of place it is, like "River" or "Lake."
Like the word "Street" in a road name: it tells you what kind of place it is.
In "Lake Michigan," the word "Lake" is the generic.
Map makers list the generics, like "Mount" or "Creek," separately.
Oppositespecific
Note
- 13In advanced math, having values that don't depend on one another in any fixed way.
Like picking a spot at random in a field: it almost never lands on a special line.
The proof assumed a generic point with no special relationships.
A generic choice of numbers avoids these rare exceptions.
Oppositespecial
Note
- 14
Showing meanings only.
Practice
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Origin
From Latin genus, meaning "kind" or "type," plus -ic. It came into English through French.