generalise
gb/d͡ʒˈɛnɚəlɪs/ us/d͡ʒˈɛnɚəlɪs/
B2
English
Senses
0 senses
Verb
B2
action
1
make broad statements about a group
To talk about something in a very general way, not including details.
Usage pattern:
generalise (about [someone/something])
Common mistake:
Don’t confuse British spelling generalise with American spelling generalize; they mean the same.
Synonyms
oversimplify (Emphasises losing important detail.)
|
stereotype (Often implies an unfair generalisation about a group.)
Antonyms
specify (Gives exact details instead of broad statements.)
Collocations
generalise about people
|generalise about women
|generalise about teenagers
|generalise too much
|tend to generalise
|it is wrong to generalise
|avoid generalising
|over-generalise
|a generalised view
|generalise from one case
Themes
communication
|society
|thinking_skills
Examples
- It’s unfair to generalise about an entire culture based on one experience.
- She tends to generalise and forget that there are many exceptions.
- Don’t generalise from a single comment to what everyone thinks.
Learner examples
- You can’t generalise about all students.
- He generalised and missed the details.
Verb
formal
C1
process
2
draw a rule from examples
To make a general rule based on examples or data.
Usage pattern:
generalise from [evidence/examples]
Common mistake:
Generalise from means you start with specific examples; it does not mean ‘explain in detail’.
Synonyms
infer (More general; does not always imply moving from specific cases to a broad rule.)
|
extrapolate (Often suggests extending beyond known data, sometimes with extra uncertainty.)
Antonyms
particularise (Focuses on specific cases rather than a general rule.)
Collocations
generalise from data
|generalise from evidence
|generalise from experience
|generalise from a sample
|generalise from a few cases
|attempt to generalise
|it is difficult to generalise
|generalise a pattern
|generalise a principle
|generalise findings
Themes
education
|research
|thinking_skills
Examples
- From these three experiments, we can generalise that the material expands when heated.
- It’s risky to generalise from such a small sample size.
- Children quickly learn to generalise rules from just a few examples.
Learner examples
- We cannot generalise from one test.
- They generalised a rule from the results.
Verb
formal
C1
action
3
apply results to other cases
To say something is also true for other situations or people.
Usage pattern:
generalise [a finding/idea] to [other situations/groups]
Common mistake:
Generalise to focuses on where you apply the idea; generalise from focuses on the starting evidence.
Synonyms
extend (Commoner and less academic; emphasises broadening scope.)
|
apply (Focuses on practical use in another context.)
Antonyms
restrict (Limits validity or use to a narrow context.)
Collocations
generalise to the wider population
|generalise to other settings
|generalise to other countries
|generalise the results
|generalise the findings
|generalise an approach
|generalise a method
|cannot be generalised
|easily generalised
|broadly generalisable
Themes
research
|work
|education
Examples
- The study was done in one city, so the results may not generalise to rural areas.
- We need more data before we can generalise these findings to other age groups.
- A good model should generalise well to new examples.
Learner examples
- These results do not generalise to everyone.
- Can we generalise this rule to other cases?
Verb
formal
C1
action
4
make something less detailed
To remove details so something becomes more general.
Usage pattern:
generalise [a description/model/design]
Common mistake:
Generalise here means ‘make more general’, not ‘make popular’.
Synonyms
abstract (Often suggests focusing on the essential features and leaving out detail.)
|
simplify (Emphasises making something easier to understand, not necessarily broader.)
Antonyms
detail (Adds specific information rather than removing it.)
Collocations
generalise a description
|generalise a model
|generalise a design
|generalise features
|generalise a diagram
|generalise the shape
|generalise details
|highly generalised
|a generalised form
|generalise the concept
Themes
communication
|design
|data
Examples
- The map generalises minor roads to keep the image clear at this scale.
- To teach the concept, the instructor first generalised the problem and ignored special cases.
- The artist generalised the facial features to create a stronger overall impression.
Learner examples
- We generalised the diagram to make it simple.
- The report generalised the details into one idea.
Verb
technical
C2
process
5
spread to whole body or area
In medical use, to spread widely in the body.
Usage pattern:
[a condition/infection/seizure] generalises
Synonyms
spread (More general and non-technical.)
|
disseminate (More formal/technical; often used for disease or information.)
Antonyms
localise (Stay limited to one area rather than spreading.)
Collocations
generalise rapidly
|generalise to the whole body
|generalise beyond the original site
|generalised infection
|generalised inflammation
|generalised seizures
Themes
health
|medicine
Examples
- The rash began on his arms and then generalised to his torso.
- If the infection generalises, it can become life-threatening.
- Doctors monitored her closely to make sure the inflammation did not generalise.
Grammar
Dictionary form
generalise
IPA
GB/d͡ʒˈɛnɚəlɪs/
US/d͡ʒˈɛnɚəlɪs/
Syllables & stress
gen - er - al - ise (4 syllables)
Stress on 1st syllable (gen)
Word forms
Verb
- Base: generalise
- 3rd Person Singular: generalises
- Present Participle: generalising
- Past: generalised
Word family
Forms
generalises
verb
generalising
verb
generalised
verb
Core family
Related words
generalize
verb C1
generalist
noun C1
Negative and opposite forms
specific
adjective B1
Advanced or less common
generalisable
adjective
generality
noun
Expressions
to generalise
1/tə d͡ʒˈɛnɚəlɪs/
fixed phrase
speaking in a broad way
Used to mean “speaking generally”.
Examples
- To generalise, people prefer products that save them time.
- To generalise, the earlier we start, the better the results tend to be.
- To generalise, this approach works best with simple systems.
without wishing to generalise
1/wɪðˈaʊt wˈɪʃɪŋ tə d͡ʒˈɛnɚəlɪs/
fixed phrase
formal
hedge before a broad claim
Used to show you know a general statement may not be true for everyone.
Examples
- Without wishing to generalise, customers tend to be more patient in smaller shops.
- Without wishing to generalise, people often feel more stressed at this time of year.
- Without wishing to generalise, older houses usually need more maintenance.