Generic Meaning
/dʒᵻˈnɛ.ɹɪk/Definition, CEFR level C1, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
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Definition
adjVery broad; pertaining or appropriate to large classes or groups as opposed to specific instances.
adjLacking in precision, often in an evasive fashion; vague; imprecise.
Sentence Examples
Generic ibuprofen is just as effective as name-brand ibuprofen.
She purchased a generic version of a medication.
‘Vine fruit’ is the generic term for currants and raisins.
Synonyms & Antonyms
Synonyms:
None
Antonyms:
CEFR Practice Quiz
The store sells a ____ version of the medicine that is cheaper.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The doctor prescribed a ____ version of the medication, which is just as effective but much less expensive.
Word Origin & History
From Middle French générique, from Latin genus (“genus, kind”) + -ic.
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
"[…] 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."
— 1864, Walter Bagehot, “Wordsworth, Tennyson, and Browning; or, Pure, Ornate, and Grotesque Art in English Poetry”, in The National Review, volume 19:
"The four-and-one-half-day trial was centered on acts that neither she nor prosecutors dispute: On July 13, 2012, she drove her Lexus S.U.V. erratically after swallowing Zolpidem, a generic form of the sleep medication Ambien."
— 2014 February 28, Joseph Berger, “Fast Acquittal for Kennedy, Whose Name Put Prosecutors in Bind”, in The New York Times, →ISSN, archived from the original on 28 Aug 2022:
"Both [films] test formal and generic boundaries."
— 2018, Nicole Seymour, Bad Environmentalism, page 47:
"[…]a male-centered perspective[…]has resulted in false generics in everyday life[…]"
— 1998, Jacqueline A. Dienemann, Nursing administration: managing patient care:
"Where the generic of an English-language place name has been translated into French, it is essential to restore it to its original English form when translating the French document into English."
— 2024 July 29, “geographical names: translation”, in Writing Tips Plus, Ottawa: Translation Bureau, retrieved 09 Nov 2024:
Explore More C1 Vocabulary Words
CEFR Practice Quiz
The store sells a ____ version of the medicine that is cheaper.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The doctor prescribed a ____ version of the medication, which is just as effective but much less expensive.