WordGarden.iogeneralize
B2Pronunciation
UK
- /dʒˈɛnərəlˌaɪz/
US
- /ˈdʒɛnərəˌlaɪz/
Meanings
Verb
to form a broad idea or rule from specific examples
to make an idea, rule, or description broader and less specific
to extend a result, method, or theorem so it covers more cases
More meaningsFewer meanings
for a model or system to work well on new cases beyond its training data
to spread from one part of the body to a wider area
Beyond the definition
To generalize is to make a broad statement based on limited information, like thinking all cats are unfriendly because you once met one grumpy cat. It is a natural habit because our brains like shortcuts. We see a few examples and turn them into a bigger rule. Sometimes this can help us understand things quickly, but it is important to remember that these broad ideas are not always true. A detective might generalize that all witnesses are unreliable, while a teacher might generalize that students learn best by doing things. Be careful not to let these ideas turn into unfair beliefs about people.
To generalize means to draw broad conclusions from specific observations or experiences. It's the process of taking what you know about a few things and applying it to a larger group, even if there isn't enough evidence to support that broader claim.
Think of it like this: You try one Granny Smith apple and decide all green apples must be tart. That's generalizing! While many green apples are tart, not all are—some might be sweet or have a different flavor profile entirely.
Generalizing isn't always bad. It can be useful for making quick decisions or forming initial hypotheses. Scientists often start with generalizations based on preliminary data before conducting more rigorous research. However, it's crucial to recognize the potential for inaccuracy and avoid jumping to conclusions.
The word is often used in contexts where accuracy is important, like statistics ("We cannot generalize these findings to the entire population") or social commentary ("It's dangerous to generalize about an entire culture based on a few individuals"). It can also be used critically, pointing out when someone is making unfair assumptions. For example: "It's unfair to generalize that he is lazy just because he missed a single deadline."
So, while our brains are wired to generalize for efficiency, it's important to approach generalizations with caution and always seek more information before drawing firm conclusions. It's the difference between a helpful shortcut and a misleading assumption.
Examples
- 1
Unfair assumptions
It's unfair to generalize about a whole city from one bad taxi ride.
- 2
Emotional overstatement
He tends to generalize when he's upset and say things like, "Nobody ever listens to me."
- 3
Small sample
We can't generalize from two customer complaints.
- Patterngeneralize from + small evidence
use a small number of cases to make a bigger claim
- 4
Research limits
The researchers said the results could not be generalized to older adults.
- Patterngeneralize to + group
say the same result also applies to that group
More examplesFewer examples
- 5
Learning transfer
Some students understand the rule in class but struggle to generalize it to new situations.
- 6
Social trends
The article warns against generalizing personal stories into social trends.
See also
Similar
- extrapolate
- infer
- draw a general conclusion
Shades of meaning
Contrast
Used with (collocations)
- generalize from examples
- generalize about a group
- generalize from a small sample
Word family
Explore
- induction
- sample bias
Forms and spellings
4 forms open this card.
Main spelling
- generalizeverb
Forms
- generalizedpast tenseverb
- generalizing-ing formverb
- generalizesverb