generic

[juh-ner-ik]

adjective

1. of, applicable to, or referring to all the members of a genus, class, group, or kind; not specific; general.

   Synonyms: universal, common
   Antonyms: specific

2. of, relating to, or noting a genus especially in biology.

3. (of a word) applicable or referring to both men and women.

   a generic pronoun.

4. not protected by trademark registration.

   “Cola” and “shuttle” are generic terms.

   Synonyms: unbranded

5. having no distinguishing characteristics; commonplace.

   There are a lot of generic interviews, and the lack of unique perspective you get from interviewers is somewhat shocking.

noun

1. something that is generic.

2. any product, as a type of food, drug, or cosmetic commonly marketed under a brand name, that is sold in a package without a brand.

3. a wine made from two or more varieties of grapes, with no one grape constituting more than half the product (varietal ).

generic

/ dʒɪˈnɛrɪk /

adjective

1. applicable or referring to a whole class or group; general

2. biology of, relating to, or belonging to a genus

   the generic name

3. denoting the nonproprietary name of a drug, food product, etc

noun

1. a drug, food product, etc that does not have a trademark

Other Word Forms

• generically adverb
• genericalness noun
• nongeneric adjective
• nongenerical adjective
• nongenerically adverb
• pseudogeneric adjective
• pseudogenerical adjective
• pseudogenerically adverb
• supergeneric adjective
• supergenerically adverb
• ungeneric adjective
• ungenerical adjective
• ungenerically adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of generic¹

First recorded in 1670–80; from Latin gener- ( gender ¹ ) + -ic

Word History and Origins

Origin of generic¹

C17: from French; see _genus

Example Sentences

In a blistering review, critic Sowmya Rajendran slammed the film as "generic, exhausting and offensive," saying it hides tired cliches behind an "exotic" Kerala setting and a score that overplays the land's "foreignness."

From BBC

Several parents criticised schools for using logos and emblems on multiple items, meaning they cannot buy generic versions for cheaper.

From BBC

"Some schools have changed their uniform to make things more generic and accessible, but more work could be done definitely", she said.

From BBC

Disapproval of the GOP is beginning to show up in generic congressional polls as well, which seek to measure the relative strength of the two parties on a national scale.

From Salon

They said schools should use generic items and colours that could be bought from a range of suppliers, promote uptake of the school clothing grant and ensure branded items are not encouraged.

From BBC

Related Words

• universal