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

Yet only a few people have actually seen it, with smaller and open-source AI companies generally getting excluded from the administration’s conversations. — Ashley Gold, semafor.com, 9 Sep. 2026

Still, with new coach Mike Babcock on board and two of the best players in the NHL to lead the way, fans are in a generally good mood. — Allan Mitchell, New York Times, 9 Sep. 2026

Many states with bans, which generally provide less Medicaid funding and coverage to low-income women, have long had poorer maternal outcomes. — Andrea Suozzo, ProPublica, 9 Sep. 2026

Heder remains interested in stories about outsiders, about class and people generally ignored by or on the fringes of society. — Mark Olsen, Los Angeles Times, 9 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