ENGLISH
REFERENCE

generalization

n. C / U
B2 Upper Intermediate US //ˌdʒɛnɝəɫɪˈzeɪʃən// gen·er·al·iza·tion

n. a broad statement or idea that is applied to a whole group of people or things. You use it when you take a few facts and assume they are true for everyone or everything in that category.

n. a broad statement or conclusion formed by inferring a general principle from specific facts or instances. In mathematical contexts, refers to the process of extending a concept or formula to a wider domain.


SIMPLE

It is a generalization to say that all cats hate water.

CONTEXTUAL

The speaker's claim that young people do not read was a sweeping generalization that ignored current library data.

COMPLEX

The researcher cautioned against over-broad generalization, noting that the small sample size might not accurately represent the diverse behaviors of the entire population.

Synonyms
Origin

From general + -ization.

Usage

Often paired with the adjective 'sweeping' to describe a statement that is too broad to be accurate.

Pitfall

make a generalization about ofmake a generalization aboutLearners sometimes add 'of' after 'about' when describing the subject of the generalization.

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