Generality

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General adj. 1. of or pertaining to all persons or things belonging to a group or category: a general meeting of the employees of a firm. 2. of, pertaining to, or true of such persons or things in the main, with possible exceptions: the general will of the people. 3. not limited to one class: field, etc.; miscellaneous: the general public. 4. dealing with all or the overall aspects of a subject without attempting to deal with specific aspects: a general description. 5. not specific or definite. 6. Med. [of anesthesia or an anesthetic] causing loss of consciousness and abolishing sensitivity to pain throughout the body. 7. having extended command or superior or chief rank.; a general chairman. -n. 8. Mil. a. U.S. Army and Air Force. an officer ranking above a lieutennant general and below a general of the army or general of the air force . . . . 9. Eccles. the chief official of a religious order. 10. a statement or principle involving or applicable to the whole. 11. Archaic. the general public. 12. in general, a. with respect to the whole class referred to: as a whole. b. as a rule; usually. [ME < L generál(is). as a whole. b. as a rule; usually. [ME < L generál(is). See GENDER1, -AL1] -Syn. 1, 2. customary, prevailing, regular, ordinary. General, Common, Universal agree in the idea of being nonexcluslive and widespread. General means belonging to or prevailing through out a whole class or body collectively, irrespective of individuals: a general belief. Common means shared by all, and belonging to one as much as another: a common interest; common fund; but use of this sense is frequently avoided because of ambiguity of sense. Universal means found everywhere, and with no exceptions: a universal longing. -Ant. 1. special, limited.

Generalize v.t. 1. to give a general rather than a specific or special character of form to. 2. to infer [a general principle, trend, etc.] from facts, statistics, or the like. 3. to infer or form [a principle, opinion, conclusion, etc.] from meager or insufficient facts, information, or the like. 4. to make general; bring into general use or knowledge. -v.i. 5. to form general notions. 6. to deal, think, or speak in generalities. 7. to make general inferences. Also, esp. Brit., generalise. . . .