generic

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ge·ner·ic

(jə-nĕr′ĭk)

adj.

a. Relating to or descriptive of an entire group or class: Cancer is a generic term for a group of diseases in which cells proliferate wildly.

b. Lacking specificity; general: made some generic remarks about how to save for retirement.

2. Biology Of or relating to a genus.

a. Relating to or being a product that is sold or distributed without any brand name or without a widely known brand name, especially as a discount alternative to a name-brand product: generic soap.

b. Relating to or being the official nonproprietary name of a drug, under which it is licensed and identified by the manufacturer.

4. Grammar Specifying neither masculine nor feminine gender: generic nouns like waitperson and executive.

1. A product or substance sold under or identified by a generic name.

2. A wine that is a blend of several grape varieties and does not carry the name of any specific grape.

[From Latin genus, gener-, kind; see genə- in Indo-European roots.]

ge·ner′i·cal·ly adv.

gen′e·ric′i·ty (jĕn′ə-rĭs′ĭ-tē), ge·ner·ic·ness n.

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

generic

(dʒɪˈnɛrɪk) or

generical

adj

1. applicable or referring to a whole class or group; general

2. (Biology) biology of, relating to, or belonging to a genus: the generic name.

3. (Pharmacology) denoting the nonproprietary name of a drug, food product, etc

(Pharmacology) a drug, food product, etc, that does not have a trademark

[C17: from French; see genus]

geˈnerically adv

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

ge•ner•ic

(dʒəˈnɛr ɪk)

adj. Also, ge•ner′i•cal.

1. of, pertaining to, or applicable to all the members of a genus, class, group, or kind.

2. of, pertaining to, or constituting a genus.

3. (of a word) applicable or referring to both men and women: a generic pronoun.

4. not protected by trademark registration; nonproprietary: a generic drug.

5. a generic term.

6. any product, as a food, drug, or cosmetic, that can be sold without a brand name.

7. a wine made from two or more varieties of grapes, with no one grape constituting more than half the product (disting. from varietal).

[1670–80; < Latin gener- (see gender¹) + -ic]

ge•ner′i•cal•ly, adv.

ge•ner′ic•ness, n.

ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:

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Noun	1.	generic - a wine that is a blend of several varieties of grapes with no one grape predominating; a wine that does not carry the name of any specific grape generic wine vino, wine - fermented juice (of grapes especially) varietal, varietal wine - a wine made principally from one grape and carrying the name of that grape
	2.	generic - any product that can be sold without a brand name generic drug - when the patent protection for a brand-name drug expires generic versions of the drug can be offered for sale if the FDA agrees; "generic drugs are usually cheaper than brand-name drugs" merchandise, product, ware - commodities offered for sale; "good business depends on having good merchandise"; "that store offers a variety of products"
Adj.	1.	generic - relating to or common to or descriptive of all members of a genus; "the generic name" biological science, biology - the science that studies living organisms
	2.	generic - (of drugs) not protected by trademark; "`Acetaminophen' is the generic form of the proprietary drug `Tylenol'" drug - a substance that is used as a medicine or narcotic nonproprietary - not protected by trademark or patent or copyright; "nonproprietary products are in the public domain and anyone can produce or distribute them"
	3.	generic - applicable to an entire class or group; "is there a generic Asian mind?" general - applying to all or most members of a category or group; "the general public"; "general assistance"; "a general rule"; "in general terms"; "comprehensible to the general reader"

generic

adjective collective, general, common, wide, sweeping, comprehensive, universal, blanket, inclusive, all-encompassing Parmesan is a generic term for a family of Italian hard cheeses.
individual, particular, specific, precise

Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002

generic

adjective

Belonging or relating to the whole:

common, general, universal.

Translations

للجِنْس عامَّة، عام

rodový

fælles-generisk

allgemein generisch

genérico

commun générique

gyûjtõ

ættkvíslar-

generico

apibendrinantis

sugas-

generisk

дженерик

rodový

cinsle ilgilitürsel

一般的

generic

[dʒɪˈnerɪk] ADJ → genérico

Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

generic

[dʒɪˈnɛrɪk] adj → générique generic drug

Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005

generic

adj → artmäßig; generic name or term → Oberbegriff m; (Biol) → Gattungsbegriff or -name m; generic group → Gattung f

Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007

generic

[dʒɪˈnɛrɪk] adj → generico/a

Collins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995

generic

(dʒəˈnerik) adjective

(of a name, term etc) referring to several similar objects etc. `Furniture' is a generic term for chairs, tables etc.

ge·ner·ic

n. nombre común de un producto o medicamento no patentado;

a. genérico-a, rel. al género;

___ name → nombre genérico.

generic

adj & n (pharm) genérico

References in classic literature ?

It has often been stated that domestic races do not differ from each other in characters of generic value.

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but, besides the application to him of the generic remark above, this carpenter of the Pequod was singularly efficient in those thousand nameless mechanical emergencies continually recurring in a large ship, upon a three or four years' voyage, in uncivilized and far-distant seas.

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In the fishery, they usually go by the generic name of Gay-Headers.

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These though generally included in the generic name of free trappers, have the more specific title of skin trappers.

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One was the barge which he had brought from Mackinaw; another was of a larger size, such as was formerly used in navigating the Mohawk River, and known by the generic name of the Schenectady barge; the other was a large keel boat, at that time the grand conveyance on the Mississippi.

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A man is like a tree: in a forest of his fellows he will grow as straight as his generic and individual nature permits; alone in the open, he yields to the deforming stresses and tortions that environ him.

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In other words, no sooner has the intellect progressed beyond the moment of perception and of its immediate reproduction in memory, than the generic image makes its appearance, i.e.

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This profound generic view of the female sex did not seem to dispose Haley particularly to the straight road, and he announced decidedly that he should go the other, and asked Sam when they should come to it.

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Of the Lenni Lenape, or as they were called by the whites, from the circumstances of their holding their great council-fire on the banks of that river, the Delaware nation, the principal tribes, besides that which bore the generic name, were the Mahicanni, Mohicans, or Mohegans, and the Nanticokes, or Nentigoes.

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There is a constant use of generic or generalizing articles, pronouns, and adjectives, 'the,' 'a,' 'that,' 'every,' and 'each' as in some of the preceding and in the following examples: 'The wise man's passion and the vain man's boast.' 'Wind the shrill horn or spread the waving net.' 'To act a Lover's or a Roman's part.' 'That bleeding bosom.' 3.

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He was one of those lads that grow everywhere in England, and at twelve or thirteen years of age look as much alike as goslings,--a lad with light-brown hair, cheeks of cream and roses, full lips, indeterminate nose and eyebrows,--a physiognomy in which it seems impossible to discern anything but the generic character to boyhood; as different as possible from poor Maggie's phiz, which Nature seemed to have moulded and colored with the most decided intention.

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Irwine was altogether belied by the generic classification assigned him.

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