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

• 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

Semafor traced it to a pair of US life insurers that had funneled policyholders’ cash to 777’s Bermudan reinsurer, which invested it into sports teams, airplanes, a payday lender, and a failing budget airline, among other bets generally unsuited for insurance guarantees. —Liz Hoffman, semafor.com, 18 Oct. 2025

It is generally assumed that San Francisco 49ers star linebacker Fred Warner is out for the rest of the season after suffering a broken and dislocated ankle last Sunday against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. —Robert Marvi, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 Oct. 2025

Very little to none of these are covered by Medicare or traditional health insurance, and prices have generally risen by more than inflation, according to a Genworth and CareScout study measuring costs of long-term care services. —Medora Lee, USA Today, 18 Oct. 2025

Andrew has largely stayed out of the limelight since 2019 and has only generally attended private family events – one of the most recent being the Duchess of Kent’s funeral service, at which he was accompanied by Sarah Ferguson. —Sophie Tanno, CNN Money, 18 Oct. 2025

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