generalization
broad statement about a group
A statement about a whole group of people or things, usually based on only a few examples and often not completely true.
make [a generalization] about [something/someone]
- Saying that all teenagers are lazy is an unfair generalization.
- The article makes a sweeping generalization about immigrants based on a few extreme cases.
- He warned the team not to draw broad generalizations from such a small survey.
- Her comment about men was clearly a generalization, not a carefully researched claim.
- We should avoid making generalizations about a culture after a short visit.
- It is a generalization to say that all rich people are happy.
- The teacher told us not to make generalizations about other countries.
- This movie makes a bad generalization about women.
- That is just a generalization; many people are not like that.
- Be careful: a generalization can sound true but be wrong.
process of forming broad statements
The process of using a few examples to make a big conclusion about many people or things.
the generalization of [findings/results] from [a sample] to [a population]
- The small sample size makes any generalization from the study problematic.
- Good research design helps ensure the valid generalization of findings to the wider population.
- They cautioned against the careless generalization of these results to other age groups.
- Cultural differences can limit the generalization of psychological theories developed in one country.
- The paper discusses the generalization of this method beyond the laboratory setting.
- Because the study is small, generalization from the results is difficult.
- Researchers want generalization so their ideas work in real life, not just in the lab.
- The teacher explained that generalization from one example can be dangerous.
- They talked about the generalization of the rule to new situations.
- Careful generalization is important when we learn from experience.
more general version of something
A new idea or rule that is made wider so that it works for more situations than the old one.
a generalization of [a theorem/idea/method] to [a wider class]
- This formula can be seen as a natural generalization of Pythagoras' theorem.
- The paper presents a generalization of the algorithm to handle multiple data types.
- Group theory arose in part as a generalization of symmetries of geometric objects.
- Their model is a useful generalization of earlier, more limited approaches.
- As a generalization of this result, we obtain a theorem valid in higher dimensions.
- This rule is a generalization of a simple idea you already know.
- The new theory is a generalization of an older model.
- We can make a generalization of this formula for bigger numbers.
- The teacher showed a generalization of the pattern to all even numbers.
- Scientists often look for a generalization that works in many cases.
spread of learned response to similar cases
In psychology, when you learn to act in one situation and then act the same way in other, similar situations.
generalization of [a response/behavior] from [one stimulus] to [similar stimuli]
- Therapists try to encourage the generalization of social skills from the clinic to everyday life.
- Stimulus generalization occurred when the dog salivated to tones similar to the original bell.
- Excessive fear generalization can play a role in anxiety disorders.
- The study measured the generalization of training effects to real-world tasks.
- They designed the program to support the generalization and maintenance of new behaviors.
- In psychology, generalization means using a learned behavior in new but similar situations.
- The child showed generalization when he used the new word with many similar objects.
- Generalization of good study habits to other classes is important.
- The dog showed generalization by reacting to different bells in the same way.
- Teachers want generalization so students use skills outside the classroom.
- Base: generalization
- Plural: generalization, generalizations
broad generalization
1wide but simple statement
A simple statement that covers many people or things and does not include many details or exceptions.
- It’s a broad generalization, but older voters tend to prefer this policy.
- The report makes some broad generalizations that need more data.
- As a broad generalization, the north is cooler than the south.
gross generalization
1obviously wrong broad statement
A very big and very wrong statement about a group, which ignores facts and differences.
- Saying that men don’t care about their children is a gross generalization.
- I know this is a gross generalization, but city people seem more stressed.
- That comment is a gross generalization and doesn’t reflect reality.
make a generalization
1create a broad statement
To say a sentence about a whole group of people or things based on some examples you know.
- Try not to make a generalization about a country after one short trip.
- It’s natural to make generalizations, but we should question them.
- The journalist makes a generalization that is not supported by the data.
sweeping generalization
1very broad often wrong statement
A very big, simple statement about a whole group that usually ignores important differences and is often not true.
- Calling all lawyers dishonest is a sweeping generalization.
- Her speech was full of sweeping generalizations about young people.
- The reviewer criticized the book for its sweeping generalizations about culture.
hasty generalization
1Conclusion from too little evidence
When someone says something is true for many cases after seeing only a few examples.
- Saying all teenagers are lazy because you know one who is is a hasty generalization.
- The argument was weak because it was based on a hasty generalization.
hasty generalization
2logical fallacy from few cases
A mistake in thinking when someone uses only a small number of examples to make a big statement about many people or things.
- Concluding that all drivers are rude because of one bad experience is a hasty generalization.
- The teacher explained that this argument is weak because it’s based on a hasty generalization.
- Hasty generalizations are common in social media debates.