generality

noun

gen·​er·​al·​i·​ty ˌje-nə-ˈra-lə-tē How to pronounce generality (audio)
plural generalities
1
: the quality or state of being general
2
b
: a vague or inadequate statement
3
: the greatest part : bulk
the generality of the population

Examples of generality in a Sentence

He spoke in generalities as he discussed his plans for the future. I noticed the generality of the language he used in discussing his plans.
Recent Examples on the Web Allen speaks in generalities about the delay but is candid about not knowing a date. Houston Mitchell, Los Angeles Times, 2 Feb. 2024 But those generalities can still be useful for predicting where the primary will go next if a candidate drops out — and over the next couple months, that will probably happen multiple times. Nathaniel Rakich, ABC News, 5 Jan. 2024 Lines in Harmony about the recurrence of hate against Jews and state oppression in general, fashioned as generalities, are suddenly much more charged. Vulture, 13 Nov. 2023 The direction of the courtroom scenes has the blandly declarative generality of a TV movie cramming its script details in ahead of the next commercial. Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 12 Oct. 2023 The singularity of this self-portrait lies in the stacking of generalities, all the pressures and satisfactions of a life thrust into disparate arenas and unfurling at different scales. Tobi Haslett, Harper's Magazine, 18 Sep. 2023 To this day, however, no one has been able to beat the 1/2 level of distribution in the full degree of generality that the Bombieri-Vinogradov theorem achieves. Erica Klarreich, Quanta Magazine, 26 Oct. 2023 All the noise is about football, plus generalities about other sports. Jon Wilner | , oregonlive, 25 Aug. 2023 Details are often found in extremes — there’s either comprehensive minutiae on a specific freedom seeker’s journey, or a story steeped in generalities. Darcel Rockett, Chicago Tribune, 11 Sep. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'generality.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of generality was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near generality

Cite this Entry

“Generality.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/generality. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

generality

noun
gen·​er·​al·​i·​ty ˌjen-ə-ˈral-ət-ē How to pronounce generality (audio)
plural generalities
1
: the quality or state of being general
2
b
: a statement that is unclear or that does not give enough information
3
: the greatest part : bulk

More from Merriam-Webster on generality

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