generic

English

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generic

Wikipedia

Alternative forms

• generick (obsolete)

Etymology

From Middle French générique, from Latin genus (“genus, kind”) + -ic; thus morphologically parallel with, and a doublet of, general.

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /dʒɪˈnɛɹɪk/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

• Hyphenation: ge‧ner‧ic
• Rhymes: -ɛɹɪk

Adjective

generic (comparative more generic, superlative most generic)

2. Very comprehensive; pertaining or appropriate to large classes or groups (genera) as opposed to specific instances.

   Antonyms: specific, instantial

   • 1864, Walter Bagehot, “Wordsworth, Tennyson, and Browning; or, Pure, Ornate, and Grotesque Art in English Poetry”, in The National Review, volume 19:

     […] the essence is that such self-describing poets describe what is in them, but not peculiar to them, – what is generic, not what is special and individual.

   "Shrimp" is the generic name for a number of species of sea creature.

   2. (taxonomy) Pertaining to genera of life instead of particular species thereof.

      There are scores of generic names within the order Decapoda, which includes many sea creatures that are called shrimp.

      Antonym: specific

4. lacking in precision, often in an evasive fashion; vague; imprecise
6. (of a product or drug) not having a brand name; nonproprietary in design or contents; fungible with the rest of its class.
8. Relating to gender.
10. (grammar) specifying neither masculine nor feminine; epicene; unisex.

    Words like salesperson and firefighter are generic.

12. (computing, of procedures) Written so as to operate on any data type, the type required being passed as a parameter.
14. (geometry, of a point) Having coordinates that are algebraically independent over the base field.
15. Relating to genre.
    • 2018, Nicole Seymour, Bad Environmentalism, page 47:

      Both [films] test formal and generic boundaries.

Synonyms

• (comprehensive): broad, general, classic; see also Thesaurus:generic
• (lacking in precision): fuzzy, indefinite; see also Thesaurus:vague
• (lacking a brand): unbranded

Antonyms

• (antonym(s) of "comprehensive"): specific, particular, concrete; see also Thesaurus:specific
• (antonym(s) of "lacking a brand"): non-generic, proprietary, branded
• (antonym(s) of "neither masculine nor feminine"): gendered

Derived terms

Translations

Noun

generic (plural generics)

1. A product sold under a generic name.
2. A wine that is a blend of several wines, or made from a blend of several grape varieties.
3. (grammar) A term that specifies neither male nor female.
   • 1998, Jacqueline A. Dienemann, Nursing administration: managing patient care:

     […] a male-centered perspective […] has resulted in false generics in everyday life […]

Translations

Related terms

• gender
• genus

Anagrams

• energic

Occitan

Etymology

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

Pronunciation

This entry needs pronunciation information. If you are familiar with the IPA then please add some!

Adjective

generic m (feminine singular generica, masculine plural generics, feminine plural genericas)

1. generic

Further reading

• Diccionari General de la Lenga Occitana, L’Academia occitana – Consistòri del Gai Saber, 2008-2024, page 348.

Romanian

Etymology

Borrowed from French générique.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /dʒeˈne.rik/

Adjective

generic m or n (feminine singular generică, masculine plural generici, feminine and neuter plural generice)

1. generic

Declension

Noun

generic n (plural generice)

1. (television, film) credits, titles

Declension

Further reading

• generic in DEX online—Dicționare ale limbii române (Dictionaries of the Romanian language)