generic

adjective ge·ner·ic \ jə-ˈner-ik , -ˈne-rik \

|Updated on: 10 Aug 2018

Examples: generic in a Sentence

Definition of generic

1 a : relating to or characteristic of a whole group or class : general

"Romantic comedy" is the generic term for such films.

b : not being or having a particular brand name

generic drugs

c : having no particularly distinctive quality or application

generic restaurants

2 : relating to or having the rank of a biological genus

—

generically

play \jə-ˈner-i-k(ə-)lē, -ˈne-ri-\ adverb

—

genericness

noun

See generic defined for English-language learners

See generic defined for kids

Examples of generic in a Sentence

“Flu” is sometimes used as a generic term for any illness caused by a virus.
a love of big things—big cars, big meals—seems to be a generic trait of the American people

Recent Examples of generic from the Web

Fluoxetine, the generic form of Prozac, now comes in dozens of pet-friendly flavors, including peanut butter, apple and molasses, double grape, double liver, double beef, double fish, and — for the especially carnivorous depressive — triple fish.

— david scharfenberg, BostonGlobe.com, "Did humans drive this polar bear insane?," 13 July 2018
The rule of thumb is the Democrats need to carry the generic ballot test by about 10 percentage points to take over the U.S. House this fall.

— dana blanton, Fox News, "Fox News Poll: Democrats ahead in election enthusiasm, interest -- and the vote," 12 July 2018
Women are more supportive of Democrats than Republicans, 41 percent to 34 percent, in the generic ballot test for Congress.

— anthony man, Sun-Sentinel.com, "Florida's 50-plus voters could save Republicans in midterm elections," 19 June 2018
The tight end group looks generic, absent Hunter Henry and Antonio Gates.

— tom krasovic, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Checking on Chargers and Padres," 18 June 2018
Even though his looks were totally generic, B. stood out immediately.

— kate mickere, latimes.com, "Why I won't date magicians or self-published authors," 18 May 2018
The official name of the tech, PAN, turned out to be too generic to do well in search engines, so the codename stuck.

— jason daley, Smithsonian, "This 13 Year Old Helped Find Viking Treasure In Germany," 18 Apr. 2018
Social Security officials can’t necessarily determine your specific scenario for you, and therefore their advice tends to be generic to the larger population, rather than specific to you.

— San Antonio Express-News, "Widows forfeit $132 million by choosing wrong Social Security plan," 26 Mar. 2018
The poll finds Democrats with a five-point edge in a generic ballot test: 46% favor the Democrat in their districts while 41% back the Republican.

— jennifer agiesta, CNN, "Fox News poll: Trump approval holds steady as GOP shrinks Dems' edge in midterms fight," 25 Mar. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'generic.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of generic

French générique, from Latin gener-, genus birth, kind, class

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1676

in the meaning defined at sense 1a

See Words from the same year

generic Synonyms

Other Pharmacology Terms

anodyne, cathartic, emetic, emollient, liniment, paregoric, poultice, purgative, soporific, spectrum

generic

noun

Definition of generic

: a product (such as a drug) that does not have a brand name

See generic defined for English-language learners

Examples of generic in a Sentence

You can substitute generics for brand-name drugs on this health plan.

Recent Examples of generic from the Web

Hoffman, who’s written about the legal and ethical implications of step therapy, says that sometimes step therapy can have sensible outcomes, like pushing patients to take generics instead of brand-name drugs.

— alessandra potenza, The Verge, "To save money, my insurance company forced me to try drugs that didn’t work," 22 June 2018
Indivior has been subpoenaed by the California Department of Insurance over its blockbuster opioid addiction treatment, Suboxone Film, which is rapidly losing market share due to competition from generics, Reuters reports.

— ed silverman, STAT, "Pharmalittle: Antibiotic shortages putting patients at risk; EMA fears staff losses as HQ move nears," 1 June 2018
The agency has received more than 150 requests from generics looking for assistance in obtaining samples.

— the editorial board, WSJ, "More Competition for Pharma," 18 May 2018
Amazon is likely to focus on generics and branded pills, said Ashtyn Evans, a health-care analyst at Edward Jones & Co.

— Fortune, "Jeff Bezos Just Did President Trump a Big Favor on Drug Pricing," 28 June 2018
Shortages of generic injected drugs have become normal.

— linda a. johnson, chicagotribune.com, "The other opioid crisis: Hospitals grapple with prolonged injected opioid shortage," 28 June 2018
Sometimes, even the presence of generics doesn’t bring down prices very effectively.

— NBC News, "Medicare spending on name-brand drugs rose by 77 percent over five years, even as usage fell," 5 June 2018
Ask your doctor about switching from more expensive brand-name drugs to generics.

— susan moeller, BostonGlobe.com, "Stop giving so much money to your kids, and 8 more ways to afford retirement," 5 June 2018
Botox, which is made from the toxin of certain bacteria, is much more expensive than other migraine treatments like beta blockers, which are available as generics.

— alessandra potenza, The Verge, "To save money, my insurance company forced me to try drugs that didn’t work," 22 June 2018

Origin and Etymology of generic

derivative of ¹generic

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1967

in the meaning defined above

See Words from the same year

Other Pharmacology Terms

anodyne, cathartic, emetic, emollient, liniment, paregoric, poultice, purgative, soporific, spectrum

GENERIC Defined for English Language Learners

generic

adjective

Definition of generic for English Language Learners

: of or relating to a whole group or class
: not sold or made under a particular brand name
biology : of or relating to a genus

generic

noun

Definition of generic for English Language Learners

: a product (such as a drug) that is not sold or made under a particular brand name : a generic product

Medical Dictionary

generic

adjective ge·ner·ic \ jə-ˈner-ik \

medical Definition of generic

1 : not protected by trademark registration : nonproprietary

nylon and aspirin are generic names

—used especially in trademark law

2 : relating to or having the rank of a biological genus

—

generically

play \-i-k(ə-)lē\ adverb

generic

noun

medical Definition of generic

: a generic drug —usually used in plural

Law Dictionary

generic

adjective ge·ner·ic \ jə-ˈner-ik \

legal Definition of generic

1 : common or descriptive and not entitled to trademark protection : nonproprietary

the generic name of a drug

2 : having a nonproprietary name

generic drugs

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generic

Definition of generic

generically

genericness

Examples of generic in a Sentence

Recent Examples of generic from the Web

Origin and Etymology of generic

generic Synonyms

Synonyms

Antonyms

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Related Words

Other Pharmacology Terms

generic

Definition of generic

Examples of generic in a Sentence

Recent Examples of generic from the Web

Origin and Etymology of generic

Other Pharmacology Terms

GENERIC Defined for English Language Learners

generic

Definition of generic for English Language Learners

generic

Definition of generic for English Language Learners

Medical Dictionary

generic

medical Definition of generic

generically

generic

medical Definition of generic

Law Dictionary

generic

legal Definition of generic

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