# generalization

/ˌdʒɛnɝəɫɪˈzeɪʃən/ (US)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/generalization
Updated: 2026-08-27

## Senses

### 1. a broad statement

noun · CEFR B2

a general statement that you make about a group of people or things based on only a few examples.

For teachers: a broad statement or principle derived from specific cases, often used to describe a general trend or rule.

- It is a broad generalization to say that all teenagers love social media.
- The author avoids making a sweeping generalization about the working class, instead focusing on the diverse experiences of specific families.

### 2. oversimplification

noun · CEFR B2

a statement that is too simple and does not consider all the facts, often making it unfair or incorrect.

For teachers: an oversimplified or exaggerated conception or opinion regarding the members of a group.

- Saying that 'men are better at math' is a harmful generalization.
- The report was criticized for relying on hasty generalizations that failed to account for significant regional variations in the data.

### 3. logical reasoning

noun · CEFR C1 · Academic · Technical

the process of using specific facts to create a general rule or principle.

For teachers: the process of inductive reasoning whereby general principles are formulated from the abstraction of common properties in specific instances.

- In science, generalization helps us turn observations into laws of nature.
- The researcher sought a mathematical generalization that would encompass all previously observed edge cases within a single unified theorem.

## Examples

- It is a generalization to say that all cats hate water.
- The speaker's claim that young people do not read was a sweeping generalization that ignored current library data.
- The researcher cautioned against over-broad generalization, noting that the small sample size might not accurately represent the diverse behaviors of the entire population.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.