generalization

noun

gen·​er·​al·​i·​za·​tion ˌjen-rə-lə-ˈzā-shən  ˌje-nə- 

1

: the act or process of generalizing

2

: a general statement, law, principle, or proposition

made broad generalizations about women

3

: the act or process whereby a learned response is made to a stimulus similar to but not identical with the conditioned stimulus

Synonyms of generalization

• stereotype
• concept
• notion
• conception
• theory

Examples of generalization in a Sentence

He made several sweeping generalizations about women.

She was prone to generalization.

Recent Examples on the Web

According to Dobot, by bridging laboratory development with operational deployment, the unified training field enables cross-scenario and multi-task generalization. —Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 4 Feb. 2026

At Tuesday’s meeting, the issue hit close to home as South Asian residents challenged generalizations made about their community. —Dallas Morning News, 4 Feb. 2026

These abstracts can be developed with journal editors to help authors avoid unnecessary jargon and be finalized after the peer review process to avoid having experts overly criticize the generalization of the work. —Kirstin R.w. Matthews, STAT, 3 Feb. 2026

Second, because of this generalization, neural networks are able to compress all kinds of information drastically. —Amir Husain, Forbes.com, 29 Jan. 2026

Word History

Etymology

generalize + -ation

First Known Use

1761, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for generalization

• acclimatisation
• acclimatization
• acidification
• actualization
• annualization
• autocorrelation
• autoregulation
• beatification
• beneficiation
• biodegradation
• biotransformation
• bureaucratization

Kids Definition

generalization

noun

gen·​er·​al·​i·​za·​tion ˌjen-(ə-)rə-lə-ˈzā-shən 

1

: the act or process of generalizing

2

: a general statement, law, principle, or proposition

Medical Definition

generalization

noun

gen·​er·​al·​iza·​tion

variants or British generalisation

ˌjen-(ə-)rə-lə-ˈzā-shən 

1

: the action or process of becoming widespread or diffuse

secondary generalization of a partial seizure

2

: the act or process whereby a learned response is made to a stimulus similar to but not identical with the conditioned stimulus