generalist
gb/d͡ʒˈɛnɚəlɪst/ us/d͡ʒˈɛnɚəlɪst/
C1
English
Senses
0 senses
Noun
C1
role
1
broadly skilled person
Someone who can do or understand many different kinds of work, instead of focusing on only one area.
Usage pattern:
[someone] is a generalist; a generalist in [field]
Common mistake:
Do not use generalist to mean a vague or ordinary person; it usually contrasts with specialist.
Synonyms
all-rounder (More informal and often British; emphasizes practical ability in many areas.)
|
jack-of-all-trades (Informal; can be positive, but may suggest lack of deep expertise.)
|
versatile person (Emphasizes adaptability and ability to handle different tasks.)
Antonyms
specialist (Someone focused on one particular subject, skill, or type of work.)
|
expert (Someone with deep knowledge in a specific area.)
Collocations
a skilled generalist
|a true generalist
|a business generalist
|a marketing generalist
|a software generalist
|a policy generalist
|a medical generalist
|a generalist manager
|a generalist background
|a generalist skill set
Themes
work
|business
|education
|skills
Examples
- The startup needed a generalist who could manage operations, marketing, and customer support.
- She began her career as a generalist before specializing in data privacy law.
- In a small organization, a good generalist can be more useful than several narrow specialists.
Learner examples
- He is a generalist, so he works on many different tasks.
- The company hired a generalist, not a specialist.
adjective
C1
property
2
broad rather than specialized
Used to describe work, training, or skills that cover many areas instead of only one.
Usage pattern:
a generalist [role/approach/background/team]
Common mistake:
Generalist is usually used before a noun, as in a generalist role; do not confuse it with general, which has a wider range of meanings.
Synonyms
broad-based (Emphasizes wide coverage or a wide foundation.)
|
non-specialist (Emphasizes the absence of specialization.)
|
versatile (Emphasizes usefulness in many different situations.)
Antonyms
specialist (Focused on a particular area or function.)
|
specialized (Designed for or limited to one specific purpose or field.)
Collocations
generalist role
|generalist position
|generalist approach
|generalist training
|generalist education
|generalist curriculum
|generalist background
|generalist skills
|generalist advice
|generalist services
Themes
work
|business
|education
|skills
Examples
- The job is a generalist role that includes finance, hiring, and project coordination.
- A generalist education can help students connect ideas across different subjects.
- The firm offers generalist advice for small businesses that cannot hire separate experts.
Learner examples
- This is a generalist job with many different duties.
- She has a generalist background in business.
Noun
technical
C1
entity
3
adaptable organism or species
An animal, plant, or other living thing that can survive in many places or eat many kinds of food.
Usage pattern:
[organism/species] is a generalist
Common mistake:
In biology, a generalist is not simply a common species; it is one that can use a wide range of resources or habitats.
Synonyms
opportunist (Emphasizes taking advantage of available resources; can be broader than ecology.)
|
adaptable species (Less technical; emphasizes survival in varied conditions.)
Antonyms
specialist (A species or organism that depends on a narrow habitat, food source, or resource.)
Collocations
ecological generalist
|habitat generalist
|dietary generalist
|feeding generalist
|predator generalist
|generalist species
|generalist insect
|generalist herbivore
|generalist parasite
|generalist pollinator
Themes
biology
|ecology
|animals
|environment
Examples
- Raccoons are generalists that can live in forests, suburbs, and cities.
- Because it eats many types of plants, the insect is considered a dietary generalist.
- Generalists often cope better with disturbed habitats than highly specialized species.
Learner examples
- A raccoon is a generalist because it can eat many foods.
- Some animals are generalists and can live in many places.
adjective
technical
C1
property
4
ecologically adaptable
Used to describe a living thing that can survive in many environments or use many resources.
Usage pattern:
a generalist [species/predator/feeder/parasite]
Common mistake:
Do not use generalist in this sense to mean simply strong or successful; it refers to ecological range.
Synonyms
adaptable (Less technical and more general.)
|
opportunistic (Emphasizes using whatever resources are available.)
|
unspecialized (Emphasizes lack of dependence on one narrow resource or habitat.)
Antonyms
specialist (Restricted to a narrow ecological niche or resource.)
|
specialized (Adapted for one particular habitat, food source, host, or function.)
Collocations
generalist species
|generalist predator
|generalist herbivore
|generalist feeder
|generalist pollinator
|generalist parasite
|generalist pathogen
|generalist strategy
|generalist lifestyle
|generalist behavior
Themes
biology
|ecology
|animals
|environment
Examples
- Generalist predators may switch to a different prey species when one becomes scarce.
- The plant is pollinated by several generalist insects.
- A generalist strategy can be an advantage in rapidly changing environments.
Learner examples
- Generalist animals can eat many kinds of food.
- A generalist species can live in different habitats.
Grammar
Dictionary form
generalist
IPA
GB/d͡ʒˈɛnɚəlɪst/
US/d͡ʒˈɛnɚəlɪst/
Syllables & stress
gen - er - al - ist (4 syllables)
Stress on 1st syllable (gen)
Word forms
Adjective
- Base: generalist
- Comparative: generalister
- Superlative: generalistest
Noun
- Base: generalist
- Plural: generalists
Expressions
hr generalist
1/ɹ d͡ʒˈɛnɚəlɪst/
fixed phrase
business
broad human resources role
A person in a company who does many different human resources tasks.
Examples
- The company is hiring an HR generalist to support recruitment, onboarding, and employee questions.
- As an HR generalist, she deals with benefits, policies, and workplace concerns.
- Small companies often rely on one HR generalist instead of separate HR specialists.