as in notions
an idea or statement about all of the members of a group or all the instances of a situation
the generalization that children who like violent entertainment grow up to be violent criminals
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Recent Examples of generalizations
Pestaina also cautioned against broad generalizations about savings.
—
Liz Neporent, ABC News, 25 Feb. 2026
If there are any generalizations to be made about how different areas raise different types of players, Latson is qualified to make them.
—Rebecca Shore Winn, Southern Living, 18 Feb. 2026
Those decisions remain governed by statute and must be based on individualized assessments, not generalizations.
—Charlotte Observer, 13 Feb. 2026
They're exhausted by the constant airing of grievances having little to do with what's actually going on in the country, and by the broad generalizations about, well, everything, that ignore context, nuance and facts to promote a political viewpoint.
—Brenda Looper, Arkansas Online, 11 Feb. 2026
At Tuesday’s meeting, the issue hit close to home as South Asian residents challenged generalizations made about their community.
—Dallas Morning News, 4 Feb. 2026
But sweeping generalizations flatten reality and do a disservice to institutions such as Roosevelt — and students such as mine.
—Ryan Gable, Chicago Tribune, 21 Jan. 2026
Under California law, fraud must be pled with particularity, meaning there must be specifics and details in the complaint; generalizations, inferences and supposition don’t cut it.
—Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 16 Jan. 2026
The sample size is too small to make sweeping generalizations, but one conclusion seems evident.
—Roger Dooley, Forbes.com, 5 Jan. 2026
Liz Neporent, ABC News, 25 Feb. 2026
If there are any generalizations to be made about how different areas raise different types of players, Latson is qualified to make them.
—Rebecca Shore Winn, Southern Living, 18 Feb. 2026
Those decisions remain governed by statute and must be based on individualized assessments, not generalizations.
—Charlotte Observer, 13 Feb. 2026
They're exhausted by the constant airing of grievances having little to do with what's actually going on in the country, and by the broad generalizations about, well, everything, that ignore context, nuance and facts to promote a political viewpoint.
—Brenda Looper, Arkansas Online, 11 Feb. 2026
At Tuesday’s meeting, the issue hit close to home as South Asian residents challenged generalizations made about their community.
—Dallas Morning News, 4 Feb. 2026
But sweeping generalizations flatten reality and do a disservice to institutions such as Roosevelt — and students such as mine.
—Ryan Gable, Chicago Tribune, 21 Jan. 2026
Under California law, fraud must be pled with particularity, meaning there must be specifics and details in the complaint; generalizations, inferences and supposition don’t cut it.
—Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 16 Jan. 2026
The sample size is too small to make sweeping generalizations, but one conclusion seems evident.
—Roger Dooley, Forbes.com, 5 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for generalizations
Noun
-
Breakaway notions, such as ‘Calexit,’ are fanciful, but the discontent driving them is real.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
8 Apr. 2026
-
Advice or even just notions—only check email after noon; never do 10 reps of crunches—solidify into absolutism or vanish.—
Ian Bogost,
The Atlantic,
31 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The old flag, which depicted the old state seal on a blue field, had been criticized for years for a cluttered, undistinguished design and for containing colonial imagery and depicting racist stereotypes.—
Matthew Stolle,
Twin Cities,
16 Apr. 2026
-
Autism does not always match the stereotypes people expect to see.—
Malana VanTyler,
Sacbee.com,
15 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
While seeking out texts that make the complex feel digestible, Johnson has simultaneously established himself as a purveyor of intricate concepts.—
Bennett Durando,
Denver Post,
18 Apr. 2026
-
The red planet is the apple of Elon Musk’s eye, with utopian concepts for a Mars settlement to go along with SpaceX’s more tangible work on a massive rocket to actually fly there.—
Stephen Clark,
ArsTechnica,
17 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
In reaction against the waste of life and ill-success of Mazzini’s program, moderate opinion tended to crystallize around federal conceptions of the solution of the Italian problem.—
Britannica Editors,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
12 Mar. 2026
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Second, however, at the chasm between the Framers’ conceptions of Presidential war power and the unbounded nature of that authority today.—
Ruth Marcus,
New Yorker,
5 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Generalizations.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/generalizations. Accessed 20 Apr. 2026.
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