generic

adjective

ge·ner·ic | \jə-ˈner-ik,

-ˈne-rik\

Definition of generic

(Entry 1 of 2)

1a : 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

generic

noun

Definition of generic (Entry 2 of 2)

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

Other Words from generic Synonyms & Antonyms More Example Sentences Learn More about generic

Keep scrolling for more

Synonyms & Antonyms for generic

Synonyms: Adjective

across-the-board, blanket, broad-brush, common, general, global, overall, universal

Antonyms: Adjective

individual, particular

Examples of generic in a Sentence

Adjective

“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

Noun

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

Recent Examples on the Web: Adjective

Set against the backdrop of a generic pop song, teens sit or stand in front of their cameras and incorporate quick outfit changes to the song’s beat. — Julia Alexander, The Verge, "In defense of TikTok, the joyful, slightly cringe-inducing spiritual successor to Vine," 5 Nov. 2018 Teva believes that will be the last year of declining profitability, but the timing could slip if, say, U.S. generic prices were to begin falling sharply again. — Charley Grant, WSJ, "Teva Passes Its Check-Up," 1 Nov. 2018 Like me, my period has gone through countless iterations of itself in the last decade-and-a-half, depending on the birth control method (none, the pill, a generic form of that pill, a different pill, none again, then the IUD) and the time and place. — Hannah Dylan Pasternak, SELF, "I Tried Free Bleeding in Period-Proof Running Shorts," 30 Oct. 2018 The Ascent, on the other hand, looks more like a generic SUV with a higher hood line than its Subaru siblings. — Eric Bangeman, Ars Technica, "Safety first, last, and always: The Subaru Ascent, reviewed," 25 Oct. 2018 What can couples do make their wedding feel one of a kind rather than another generic ceremony? — Olivia Martin, Town & Country, "Celebrity Event Planner Yifat Oren's Best Tips for Planning a One-of-a-Kind Wedding," 9 Oct. 2018 As Ally's music stardom rises, a record executive swoops in and revamps her entire image, dyeing her hair and swapping her soulful ballads for generic dance-pop. — Christopher Rosa, Glamour, "A Star Is Born," 5 Oct. 2018 What the family doesn't know is that Stitch, who's bright blue, is actually a generic experiment, fueled by chaos, who landed on Earth after a voyage gone wrong — and now, the family has to protect Stitch from returning to his evil alien innkeepers. — Devon Elizabeth, Teen Vogue, ""Lilo & Stitch" Is Disney's Next Live-Action Remake," 3 Oct. 2018 To Expect From The New Season: Just like before, Jasmine will be customizing generic, cookie-cutter homes in the Huntington Beach, CA, area. — Taylor Mead, House Beautiful, "Everything You Need To Know On How Flip Or Flop Came To Be, According To Tarek El Moussa," 24 Aug. 2018

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

In a letter to the FTC, Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) and Sen. Chuck Grassley (D-Iowa) argued there is reason for concern that the same controversial tactic used to thwart the arrival of lower-cost generics is being extended to biosimilars. — Ed Silverman, STAT, "Lawmakers ask FTC to examine whether pay-to-delay deals are thwarting biosimilars," 22 June 2018 India became the world’s biggest exporter of generics almost by accident. — The Economist, "Indian drugmakers need a new prescription," 22 Mar. 2018 With two generics for Vagifem now available, the drug companies are most likely negotiating big discounts with insurers, meaning patients with coverage may see their costs drop. — Katie Thomas, New York Times, "Prices Keep Rising for Drugs Treating Painful Sex in Women," 3 June 2018 The company, which is not abandoning research into tropical diseases such as malaria, is looking to license its early-stage products and stressed that its Sandoz generics unit continues to manufacture and sell antibiotics and antivirals. — Ed Silverman, STAT, "Pharmalittle: Most drug price hikes occurred before Azar arrived; Novartis abandons antibiotics," 12 July 2018 Besides generics, Brandicourt has overseen the divestiture of Sanofi’s veterinary-medicines business to Boehringer Ingelheim GmbH in a 22.8-billion-euro asset swap. — Phil Serafino, Bloomberg.com, "Sanofi to Sell Generics for $2.4 Billion to Focus on Biotech," 17 Apr. 2018 At a court hearing last year, a lawyer for Mylan, Jonathan M. Jacobson, told a federal district judge that the drug costs dying patients $20,000 a month — a price that would decline if generics were available. — Sheila Kaplan, New York Times, "F.D.A. Names and Shames Drug Makers to Encourage Generic Competition," 17 May 2018 Schilsky said both treatments are ‘‘pretty inexpensive’’ since the drugs are available as generics. — Lindsey Tanner, BostonGlobe.com, "Study finds rare gain for tough-to-treat pancreatic cancer," 4 June 2018 Nobel Prize–winning economist Joseph Stiglitz has suggested a prize system in which the government buys up the patents of drugs that prove themselves effective, and then allows them to be retailed as generics. — Eric Levitz, Daily Intelligencer, "It’s Normal for the U.S. to Put Corporate Profits Above Babies’ Health," 10 July 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.