generally

adverb

gen·​er·​al·​ly ˈjen-rə-lē 

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

Synonyms of generally

• usually
• normally
• typically

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

Guest speakers are generally informed and enthusiastic, offering lectures relating to the culture and history of the sailing region. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 23 Sep. 2026

This is on top of Perez Hilton and plenty of other sites (Gawker included) that would just flat-out insult people, draw nasty things on their pictures, and just generally malign them. — Brian Moylan, Vulture, 23 Sep. 2026

Southeast Asia's wet season generally runs from June to October, when rains usually replenish reservoirs, cool overheated cities and supply water for irrigation ahead of the next planting season. — Edna Tarigan, Arkansas Online, 23 Sep. 2026

Since particles from hotter matter generally have more momentum, the changes revealed how the fireball’s temperature varies between collisions. — Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 23 Sep. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing generally

• generally speaking

Kids Definition

generally

adverb

gen·​er·​al·​ly ˈjen-(ə-)rə-lē 

ˈjen-ər-lē

1

: for the most part

generally speaking

2

: as a rule : usually