American English
/ˈʤɛ.nɚ.əˌlaɪz/
4 syllables · Stress the first syllable.
to make a broad statement about a group or situation, often from only a few examples
Practice out loudto make a broad statement about a group or situation, often from only a few examples
Don't generalize from one rude customer.
She generalized about the whole neighborhood after one bad experience.
This word often sounds critical when someone reaches a broad conclusion from too little information.
generalize too quickly · generalize from limited evidence · generalize about people
generalize from + one example
generalize about + a group
to make a rule, idea, or result apply to more people, situations, or cases
The researchers generalized the results to a larger group.
This finding cannot be generalized to every patient.
generalize the findings · generalize the results to other groups · generalize to new situations
generalize + the results + to + a larger group
be generalized to + other cases
Before -ing, the final -e disappears: generalizing. For he, she, or it, use generalizes.