generality
Americannoun
-
a principle or observation having general application, esp when imprecise or unable to be proved
-
the state or quality of being general
-
archaic the majority
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of generality
1400–50; late Middle English generalite < Latin generālitās. See general, -ity
Explanation
If your mom says, "What have you been up to?" and you reply, "Ah, stuff," you have used a generality. It's the opposite of being specific, of saying, "Well, I shop lifted and picked my nose." Politicians speak in generalities––they want to cut the deficit and keep taxes low, but they don't want to tell you exactly how they will do that. Generalities can also refer to conclusions we draw about the world: If you say people at baseball games like to eat hot dogs, you've used a generality. Maybe people at baseball games eat hot dogs because there's nothing else to buy.
Vocabulary lists containing generality
The First State of Being
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Vocabulary Video Contest (2013) - List 2
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
5th Grade Government Vocabulary, List 6
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
But what level of generality is appropriate for this analysis?
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 1, 2026
This is obviously a gross generality, but it really feels true to me that people here tend to take a more optimistic tone.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 9, 2025
Accordingly, it increasingly enacted statutes that created rules of a fairly high level of generality and delegated responsibility for making more particular legal rules—called “regulations” —to executive branch agencies with expertise in the field.
From Slate ● Feb. 21, 2025
Yet, due to its generality, it can be applied to any social dilemma with diverse individuals, like climate change, for instance.
From Science Daily ● Feb. 26, 2024
Among the generality of men I am tall—six feet even—although among the males of my family I am considered a dwarf.
From "Travels with Charley in Search of America" by John Steinbeck
There are many provisions of the Constitution that are majestic generalities; this one is as straightforward as it gets.
From Slate ● Jun. 30, 2026
Speaking in generalities about institutions, the rule of law, and the inheritance of American democracy, he named no president and aired no specific grievance.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 1, 2026
Trafficking in generalities rarely leads to universal truth.
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 4, 2024
By contrast, if someone hasn't actually stayed at, say, the hotel they are reviewing, or didn't dine at the restaurant they are writing about, they'll use abstract generalities loosely related to the experience.
From Salon ● Oct. 8, 2024
The prosecution talked generalities because the frets just didn’t bear out the guilt of these defendants.
From "Mississippi Trial, 1955" by Chris Crowe
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
