generalise
gb/d͡ʒˈɛnɚəlɪs/ us/d͡ʒˈɛnɚəlɪs/
B2
Anglais
Sens
0 sens
Verbe
B2
action
1
make broad statements about a group
To talk about something in a very general way, not including details.
Schéma d’usage :
generalise (about [someone/something])
Erreur fréquente :
Don’t confuse British spelling generalise with American spelling generalize; they mean the same.
Synonymes
oversimplify (Emphasises losing important detail.)
|
stereotype (Often implies an unfair generalisation about a group.)
Antonymes
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
Thèmes
communication
|society
|thinking_skills
Exemples
- 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.
Exemples pédagogiques
- You can’t generalise about all students.
- He generalised and missed the details.
Verbe
formal
C1
process
2
draw a rule from examples
To make a general rule based on examples or data.
Schéma d’usage :
generalise from [evidence/examples]
Erreur fréquente :
Generalise from means you start with specific examples; it does not mean ‘explain in detail’.
Synonymes
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.)
Antonymes
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
Thèmes
education
|research
|thinking_skills
Exemples
- 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.
Exemples pédagogiques
- We cannot generalise from one test.
- They generalised a rule from the results.
Verbe
formal
C1
action
3
apply results to other cases
To say something is also true for other situations or people.
Schéma d’usage :
generalise [a finding/idea] to [other situations/groups]
Erreur fréquente :
Generalise to focuses on where you apply the idea; generalise from focuses on the starting evidence.
Synonymes
extend (Commoner and less academic; emphasises broadening scope.)
|
apply (Focuses on practical use in another context.)
Antonymes
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
Thèmes
research
|work
|education
Exemples
- 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.
Exemples pédagogiques
- These results do not generalise to everyone.
- Can we generalise this rule to other cases?
Verbe
formal
C1
action
4
make something less detailed
To remove details so something becomes more general.
Schéma d’usage :
generalise [a description/model/design]
Erreur fréquente :
Generalise here means ‘make more general’, not ‘make popular’.
Synonymes
abstract (Often suggests focusing on the essential features and leaving out detail.)
|
simplify (Emphasises making something easier to understand, not necessarily broader.)
Antonymes
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
Thèmes
communication
|design
|data
Exemples
- 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.
Exemples pédagogiques
- We generalised the diagram to make it simple.
- The report generalised the details into one idea.
Verbe
technical
C2
process
5
spread to whole body or area
In medical use, to spread widely in the body.
Schéma d’usage :
[a condition/infection/seizure] generalises
Synonymes
spread (More general and non-technical.)
|
disseminate (More formal/technical; often used for disease or information.)
Antonymes
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
Thèmes
health
|medicine
Exemples
- 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.
Grammaire
Forme canonique
generalise
API
GB/d͡ʒˈɛnɚəlɪs/
US/d͡ʒˈɛnɚəlɪs/
Syllabes et accentuation
gen - er - al - ise (4 syllabes)
Stress on 1st syllable (gen)
Formes du mot
Verb
- Base: generalise
- 3rd Person Singular: generalises
- Present Participle: generalising
- Past: generalised
Famille de mots
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”.
Exemples
- 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.
Exemples
- 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.