generality

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UK/ˌd͡ʒɛn.əˈɹæl.ɪ.ti/Canada, US/ˌd͡ʒɛn.əˈɹæl.ə.ti/Canada, US[ˌd͡ʒɛn.əˈɹæl.ə.ɾi]Australia/ˌd͡ʒen.əˈɹæl.ə.ti/

noun

The quality of being general.

“He was very vague, speaking only in generalities.”

Similar
oftennessgeneralizationgeneralisationgeneralizabilitygeneralisability
Opposite
particularity
OriginMiddle English generalite ← Anglo-Norman and Middle French generalité ← Latin generālitās →
Less commonScrabble 14
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Meanings

noungenerality (countable and uncountable, plural generalities)

plural generalities · alternative archaic generalty

  1. uncountableThe quality of being general.

    Synonyms: oftenness

  2. uncountableThe population in general.

    "You must not come to me," answered her listener, "for a defence of society; I have long since loathed its bitterness as much as I despise its baseness. You cannot know the miserably mean motives that actuate the generality; but the trifles so sought give their own narrowness to the mind."

    1837, L[etitia] E[lizabeth] L[andon], “Asking for an Invitation”, in Ethel Churchill: Or, The Two Brides. […], volume III, London: Henry Colburn, […], →OCLC, page 25
  3. countableA generalization.

    He was very vague, speaking only in generalities.

Synonyms & antonyms

nounThe quality of being general.

Similar
oftenness

More synonyms by meaning

nounan idea or conclusion having general application

Similar
generalizationgeneralisation
Broader
ideathought

nounthe quality of being general or widespread or having general applicability

Similar
generalizabilitygeneralisability
Opposite
particularity
Broader
quality
Also see
commonnessgeneralisationgeneralizabilitygeneralizationgenericity

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

  1. Latingenerālitās
  2. Anglo-Norman and Middle Frenchgeneralité
  3. Middle Englishgeneralite
  4. Englishgenerality

From Middle English generalite, from Anglo-Norman and Middle French generalité (modern French généralité), from general + -ité; also influenced by Latin generālitās. By surface analysis, general + -ity.

More words from Middle English, Anglo-Norman and Middle French, Latin

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Bulgarian генералност, общоприложимост
  • генералност (generalnost)quality
  • общоприложимост (obštopriložimost)quality
  • обобщение (obobštenie)generalization
Finnish ylimalkaisuus, epämääräisyys
  • ylimalkaisuusquality
  • epämääräisyysquality
  • yleistysgeneralization
Russian обобще́ние
  • обобще́ние (obobščénije)generalization
Spanish generalidad
  • generalidadquality

Rhymes & wordplay

Rhymes with generality

realitybestialitypersonalityhospitalitysexualityconfidentialitymoralitylocalityhomosexualitymentalitypluralitydualitylegalitybrutalitymodalityfatalitytotalitycausalitysensualityformalitynormalityproportionalitydimensionalitycentrality
All rhymes →
Cite this entry
APA

generality. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/generality

MLA

“generality.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/generality. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “generality,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/generality.

Source: generality on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.