What does "generic" mean?
A product sold under a generic name.
Generic
/ˈdʒɛn(ə)rɪk/ adj, noun
adj, noun ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A product sold under a generic name.
- Grammar: generic is listed as adj, noun.
- Nearest alternatives: abstract, arbitrary, bland, boilerplate.
- Useful contrasts: branded, concrete, gendered.
- Usage evidence: Generic ibuprofen is just as effective as name-brand ibuprofen.
How to use "generic"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "generic" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "generic" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "generic" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "generic" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "generic" is acting as adj, noun in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "abstract" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "generic", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A product sold under a generic name.
- 2 any product that can be sold without a brand name wordnet
- 3 A wine that is a combination of several wines, or made from a combination of several grape varieties.
- 4 wine that does not meet the minimum qualifications and standards for use of a designation by appellation of origin (where the grapes are grown) or by varietal content; may only be labeled by proprietary (made-up) name, by general color (such as ‘vin rouge’, ‘vino rosso’, ‘rotwein’, ‘red wine’, etc.), or by general class (as ‘vin ordinaire’, ‘vin de table’, ‘vino da tavola’, ‘tafelwein’, ‘table wine’, etc.) wordnet
- 5 A term that specifies neither male nor female.
"[…]a male-centered perspective[…]has resulted in false generics in everyday life[…]"
Show 1 more definition
- 6 The part of a toponym that identifies the feature's type.
"Where the generic of an English-language place name has been translated into French, it is essential to restore it to its original English form when translating the French document into English."
Adjective
- 1 Very broad; pertaining or appropriate to large classes or groups as opposed to specific instances.
"Capri pants can be a generic term for any cropped slim pants."
- 2 Lacking in precision, often in an evasive fashion; vague; imprecise.
- 3 Of a product or drug, not having a brand name; nonproprietary in design or contents; fungible with the rest of its class.
"The four-and-one-half-day trial was centered on acts that neither she nor prosecutors dispute: On July 13, 2012, she drove her Lexus S.U.V. erratically after swallowing Zolpidem, a generic form of the sleep medication Ambien."
- 4 Pertaining to genera of life instead of particular species thereof.
"Holonym: familial"
- 5 Relating to gender.
Show 5 more definitions
- 6 Specifying neither masculine nor feminine; epicene; unisex. nonstandard
"Words like salesperson and firefighter are generic."
- 7 Of a procedure, written so as to operate on any data type, the type required being passed as a parameter.
- 8 Of a point, having coordinates that are algebraically independent over the base field.
- 9 Relating to genre.
"Both [films] test formal and generic boundaries."
- 10 Having no distinguishing characteristics; unoriginal.
""That movie was so generic; it was so such a bore""
Adjective
- 1 applicable to an entire class or group wordnet
- 2 (of drugs) not protected by trademark wordnet
- 3 relating to or common to or descriptive of all members of a genus wordnet
Synonyms
All synonymsAntonyms
Example
"Generic ibuprofen is just as effective as name-brand ibuprofen."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "generic"?
Common synonyms include: abstract, arbitrary, bland, boilerplate, boilerplate contract, broad.
How do you use "generic" in a sentence?
Generic ibuprofen is just as effective as name-brand ibuprofen.
How do you pronounce "generic"?
Pronounced /ˈdʒɛn(ə)rɪk/.
Etymology
From Middle French générique, from Latin genus (“genus, kind”) + -ic; thus morphologically parallel with, and a doublet of, general.