Generalizations
ˌdʒenərəlaɪˈzeɪʃənz
Definitions
A general statement or idea that is based on a few facts or examples.
ˌdʒenərəlaɪˈzeɪʃən
A general statement or concept obtained by inference from specific cases.
The study's conclusions were based on a series of generalizations, which were later found to be inaccurate.
💡 Simply: Imagine you see three kids who all love pizza, so you say 'Kids generally like pizza.' That's a generalization – a broad statement based on a small number of observations.
👶 For kids: When you say something true about a lot of things, even though you haven't seen every single one of them. Like saying "birds can fly" even if you haven't seen every bird.
More Examples
She was warned against making sweeping generalizations about an entire culture.
The report contained several generalizations that lacked sufficient supporting evidence.
Political commentators often rely on generalizations to simplify complex issues for the public.
How It's Used
"Historians often make generalizations about past societies based on available evidence."
"It's dangerous to make generalizations about people based on their appearance."
Synonyms & Antonyms
Synonyms
From Middle French généralisation, from généraliser ('to generalize'), from général ('general').
The term has been used since the 18th century in various fields, including philosophy, logic, and social sciences. It gained more widespread usage in the 20th century, especially in discussions about research methods and societal analyses.
Memory tip
Think of a broad 'general' picture drawn from specific 'cases' or examples.
Word Origin
"general (relating to the whole)"