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
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
The sample is going to be used to make generalizations about everybody, Turow said, by using complex statistical modeling and artificial intelligence.
—Susan Tompor, USA Today, 10 Dec. 2025
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
The sample is going to be used to make generalizations about everybody, Turow said, by using complex statistical modeling and artificial intelligence.
—Susan Tompor, USA Today, 10 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for generalizations
Noun
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As Jackie herself once reminded John, a Kennedy has no choice but to accept that the press and public will speculate, interpret, exaggerate, and invent notions about them based on their own suppositions.—
Rafaela Bassili,
Vulture,
27 Feb. 2026
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The idea is that a guy goes back in time and his preconceived notions of history are completely different, and his modern ignorance gets the best of him.—
Stuart Miller,
Oc Register,
24 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Because outdated stereotypes can delay diagnosis, Washington said that eating disorders should be viewed through a broader lens that includes biology, psychology, and social influences.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
24 Feb. 2026
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Comments like this often sit squarely in the territory of gender stereotypes, and those stereotypes have no place at work.—
Johnny C. Taylor Jr,
USA Today,
24 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Do not hide your knowledge away from others; be sure to share these concepts with friends and family.—
Lisa Stardust,
Vogue,
2 Mar. 2026
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Trying to do what your phone can’t Ziad Asghar, who leads Qualcomm’s wearables and personal AI devices division, said Qualcomm saw the need for a new chip after companies approached them with new gadget concepts.—
Lisa Eadicicco,
CNN Money,
2 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Rising above material needs, our current conceptions of class, identity, and climate will shift radically.—
Andrew Norman Wilson,
Harpers Magazine,
24 Feb. 2026
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As a means of generating its own conceptions of goodness that feel compelling to most human beings, its record is quite mixed, perhaps because that’s not what it was ever designed to do.—
Christopher Beha,
New Yorker,
14 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Generalizations.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/generalizations. Accessed 2 Mar. 2026.
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