generally

adverb

gen·​er·​al·​ly ˈjen-rə-lē How to pronounce generally (audio)
ˈje-nə-,
ˈje-nər-lē
: in a general manner: such as
a
: in disregard of specific instances and with regard to an overall picture
generally speaking
b
: as a rule : usually

Examples of generally in a Sentence

He talked generally about his plans. I had a generally good day. It generally takes about a month for the shipment to arrive. When stocks are up, bonds are generally down. This town is generally regarded as a good place to raise kids.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
And there’s no disputing that the high tariffs that Trump put on U.S. imports from China in his first term, tariffs generally left in place by former President Joe Biden, have had an impact on the trade relationship. Ken Roberts, Forbes.com, 28 June 2025 Holland presided over more than a quarter-century of drafts with the Detroit Red Wings and Edmonton Oilers, and they were generally held in one place, with everyone from the executives doing the drafting to the players being drafted on site. Kevin Baxter, Los Angeles Times, 28 June 2025 The industry has generally hovered around a 5% failure rate since 2000, with Data Center Dynamics reporting that there have been only 165 claims for more than $10 million across the history of the industry. Tom Brown, Space.com, 28 June 2025 Even outside of Texas, building new power lines is extremely hard as there are strict rules about what can be built and where, and people generally don't want new lines in their area. Joe Edwards, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for generally

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of generally was in the 14th century

Cite this Entry

“Generally.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/generally. Accessed 3 Jul. 2025.

Kids Definition

generally

adverb
gen·​er·​al·​ly ˈjen-(ə-)rə-lē How to pronounce generally (audio)
ˈjen-ər-lē
1
: for the most part
generally speaking
2
: as a rule : usually

More from Merriam-Webster on generally

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