generally

[ jen-er-uh-lee ]

adverb

1. usually; commonly; ordinarily:

   He generally comes home at noon.

   Antonyms: seldom

2. with respect to the larger part; for the most part:

   a generally accurate interpretation of the facts.

3. without reference to or disregarding particular persons, things, situations, etc., that may be an exception:

   generally speaking.

generally

/ ˈdʒɛnrəlɪ /

adverb

1. usually; as a rule
2. commonly or widely
3. without reference to specific details or facts; broadly

Word History and Origins

Origin of generally¹

First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English; general + -ly

Synonym Study

See often.

Example Sentences

He's generally named people he's seen on TV, which I suppose makes sense since that was his only qualification for the presidency and in his mind he's the greatest leader the world has ever known.

From Salon

The proposed approach would still use deuterium and tritium, which are generally accepted as the most promising pair of fuels for fusion energy production.

From Science Daily

It's generally estimated that around 10% of pregnant people struggle to meet their nutritional needs -- but the real number could be far higher, according to new research from Stevens Institute of Technology.

From Science Daily

California voters are heavily Democratic and a high minimum wage generally aligns with left-wing values, but voters on both sides of the aisle didn’t adhere to typical party-line trends when it came to Proposition 32.

From Los Angeles Times

The largest of these reached 10 m in wingspan, but early forms were generally limited to around 2 m.

From Science Daily

Related Words

• broadly
• commonly
• customarily
• largely
• mostly
• normally
• ordinarily
• publicly
• roughly
• typically
• universally
• usually
• widely