generic

adjective

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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

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Synonyms & Antonyms for generic

Synonyms: Adjective

Antonyms: Adjective

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 It’s not a simple question of making a generic vaccine. — The Atlantic, "Listen: A Forever Pandemic," 13 Feb. 2021 Outside of the drama, the track sounds like another generic synth pop song released by a Disney Channel darling. — Billboard Staff, Billboard, "Five Burning Questions: Sabrina Carpenter's 'Skin' Answer Song Debuts at No. 48 on the Hot 100," 2 Feb. 2021 Mindy Kaling wrote this clever coming-of-age comedy that sounds totally generic on paper – a 15-year-old, played by the incredibly likable Maitreyi Ramakrishnan, navigates the treacherous world of being a teen girl. — Brian Tallerico, Vulture, "The 100 Best TV Shows on Netflix Right Now," 1 Feb. 2021 Doctors often can provide coupons, samples, change to a generic version or other resources to help manage the cost of medications, so be sure to ask. — Noel Cody, Essence, "3 Things You Should Ask Your Doctor," 29 Jan. 2021 And of the Top 10, four are generic grocery store brands. — cleveland, "What’s the best peanut butter? We ranked 77 jars in blind taste test for National Peanut Butter Day," 24 Jan. 2021 Prime members who don’t use their insurance are eligible for discounts on generic and brand-name drugs on Amazon’s site or at about 50,000 participating pharmacies. — Fortune, "Amazon Pharmacy is live: Shoppers can now order prescriptions directly through the tech giant," 17 Nov. 2020 Prime members who don’t use their insurance are eligible for discounts on generic and brand-name drugs on Amazon’s site or at about 50,000 participating pharmacies. — Matt Day, Bloomberg.com, "Amazon Expands Push Into Health Care With Online Pharmacy," 17 Nov. 2020 But Prime members who don’t have insurance can also buy generic or brand-name drugs from Amazon for a discount. — Joseph Pisani, chicagotribune.com, "Amazon opens online pharmacy, a threat to Walgreens, CVS," 17 Nov. 2020 Recent Examples on the Web: Noun The tech giant, which has long pursued its own health-care ambitions, launched an online pharmacy in November that will ship insulin, asthma inhalers and other common generic or branded medications. — Sebastian Herrera, WSJ, "Amazon, Berkshire Hathaway, JPMorgan End Health-Care Venture Haven," 4 Jan. 2021 In fact, the difference between generic and after-rebate brand prices rose from $35 in 2006 to $153 in 2017. — Robin Feldman, STAT, "Make list price the touchstone for drug pricing across the supply chain," 23 Nov. 2020 Many patients suffer their worst complications because of an immune overreaction sometimes called a cytokine storm, and may benefit from dexamethasone, a cheap generic that calms these storms. — Jason Gale, Fortune, "Covid-19 scientists flag key immune function as a turning point in life threatening cases," 25 Sep. 2020 Many patients suffer their worst complications because of an immune overreaction sometimes called a cytokine storm, and may benefit from dexamethasone, a cheap generic that calms these storms. — Jason Gale, Fortune, "Covid-19 scientists flag key immune function as a turning point in life threatening cases," 25 Sep. 2020 Fairbanks took notice of his gear—which was a mix of high-end and generic, including his black-and-copper trekking poles. — Nicholas Thompson, Wired, "A Nameless Hiker and the Case the Internet Can’t Crack," 2 Nov. 2020 Many patients suffer their worst complications because of an immune overreaction sometimes called a cytokine storm, and may benefit from dexamethasone, a cheap generic that calms these storms. — Jason Gale, Fortune, "Covid-19 scientists flag key immune function as a turning point in life threatening cases," 25 Sep. 2020 Many patients suffer their worst complications because of an immune overreaction sometimes called a cytokine storm, and may benefit from dexamethasone, a cheap generic that calms these storms. — Jason Gale, Fortune, "Covid-19 scientists flag key immune function as a turning point in life threatening cases," 25 Sep. 2020 Many patients suffer their worst complications because of an immune overreaction sometimes called a cytokine storm, and may benefit from dexamethasone, a cheap generic that calms these storms. — Jason Gale, Fortune, "Covid-19 scientists flag key immune function as a turning point in life threatening cases," 25 Sep. 2020

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.