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

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 This is because loan repayment terms are generic, set by lenders without regard to borrowers' cash flow cycles. — Percy Hung, Forbes, 15 Apr. 2022 The entire movie, directed by Daniel Espinosa from a script by Matt Sazama and Burk Sharpless, is generic — naggingly, almost jarringly so. — Zack Sharf, Variety, 5 Apr. 2022 The researchers involved in the new JNeurosci study also have plans to use different age groups in future research and to look into the impacts of more personal nostalgic cues rather than generic nostalgia ones such as old music and movies. — Lauren Kent, CNN, 28 Mar. 2022 The voice was generic: not Marghetis’s, but not really his coach’s either. — T. M. Luhrmann, Harper’s Magazine , 16 Feb. 2022 But the plan turned out to be generic — the same program that Davis had given other women, Bullock said. — Washington Post, 10 Feb. 2022 But certain drugs, like the generic ones used by many Americans, are lower on average. — Grace Segers, CBS News, 29 Apr. 2021 Drug companies are unlikely to conduct large, rigorous studies of older generic medicines — although Novartis did begin, then stop, a hydroxychloroquine study. — Matthew Herper, STAT, 6 Oct. 2021 With President Joe Biden's approval rating mired in the low 40s and the GOP already ahead in generic ballot polling, Republicans need to pick up just one seat to capture control of the Senate. — Byrick Klein,averi Harper, ABC News, 21 Apr. 2022 Recent Examples on the Web: Noun These contracts cannot include provisions that would prevent a pharmacist from disclosing if a different medication, like a generic, would be cheaper for a customer. — Dave Boucher, Detroit Free Press, 23 Feb. 2022 The costs can be daunting: a monthly supply of PrEP runs $60 for a generic and up to $2,000 for brand-name drugs like Truvada and Descovy. — Sarah Varney, CNN, 28 Feb. 2022 Harm reduction advocates believe in easy access to Narcan (generic: naloxone), which reverses opioid overdoses. — Freep.com, 21 Jan. 2022 One of the easiest things to do is to carry Narcan (generic: naloxone), which reverses most opioid overdoses. — Georgea Kovanis, Detroit Free Press, 18 Nov. 2021 At the center of his fortune is a cancer treatment that costs more than a hundred times as much as another drug, available as a generic, that is prescribed for some of the same conditions. — The New Yorker, 25 Oct. 2021 Crisp-edged and peanut-encrusted, the appetizer is unobjectionable if generic, a word that would likely be anathema to Chang, seemingly a violation of the Momofuku spirit. — The New Yorker, 8 Oct. 2021 Though Raz has plenty of occasion to simply run around and bash enemies, the game abounds with idiosyncratic details, giving it an overall flavor that’s far from generic. — Washington Post, 15 Sep. 2021 So a patented pill that sells for $1 can be profitably produced and sold as a generic for a penny. — Alfred Engelberg, STAT, 11 Sep. 2021 See More

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.