generalisation

IPA/ˌdʒen.ə r.əl.aɪˈzeɪ.ʃən/
IPA/ˌdʒen.ə r.əl.əˈzeɪ.ʃən/

generalisation — noun

  • generalisationsingular
  • generalisationsplural

1. a statement that uses only a few examples to make a claim about every situation

1.nounB2
Definition

a statement that uses only a few examples to make a claim about every situation of the same type, often making the claim seem too simple, unfair, or wrong

Example

Niran's comment that all teenagers are lazy was a gross generalisation with no real evidence.

gross generalisation (strongly disapproving adjective)

It is a dangerous generalisation to say that every foreign student learns the same way.

It is a + adj + generalisation + to say that + clause

Common collocations
  • make a generalisation
  • sweeping generalisation
  • broad generalisation
  • hasty generalisation
  • gross generalisation
  • dangerous generalisation
  • fair generalisation
  • generalisation about
  • generalisation based on
  • avoid generalisations
  • generalisation that + clause
Synonyms
  • overgeneralisation

    Emphasises that the claim goes too far beyond the evidence; often interchangeable but slightly more formal

  • sweeping statement

    A fixed phrase for a very broad claim; 'sweeping generalisation' is the most common adjective + noun pairing

  • oversimplification

    Focuses on making something seem simpler than it really is, not necessarily based on too few examples

Antonyms
  • nuanced analysis

    A careful examination that considers all the details and differences

Grammar Patterns

make + (adj) + generalisation + about + noun phrase

adj + generalisation + that + clause

Usage Note

Commonly carries a critical tone — calling something a generalisation suggests it is inaccurate or unfair. The American spelling is 'generalization'.

Common Mistakes

He made a generalise about young people.
He made a generalisation about young people.
'Generalisation' is a noun; 'generalise' is a verb and cannot follow 'made a'.
That is a generalisation of the data.
That is a generalisation based on the data.
Use 'based on' to show what the generalisation comes from, not 'of' for simple possession.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

All four words describe claims that reduce complex reality to a simpler picture, but they differ in scope and tone. 'Generalisation' is the broadest — it can be neutral (a scientific generalisation) or critical (a sweeping generalisation). 'Overgeneralisation' always criticises: it says the claim goes far beyond what the evidence supports. 'Sweeping statement' is a fixed phrase for any very broad claim, not necessarily based on examples at all. 'Oversimplification' focuses on ignoring nuance and detail, not on having too few examples. 'Stereotype' is the most specific: it refers to an oversimplified and often unfair belief about a whole group of people (based on race, gender, nationality, etc.). A stereotype is always a type of generalisation, but not every generalisation is a stereotype. For example, saying 'all swans are white' is a generalisation (and an overgeneralisation), but only a claim about people like 'all lawyers are greedy' becomes a stereotype.

overgeneralisation ↗sweeping statementoversimplification ↗stereotype ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • sweeping generalisation
  • broad generalisation
  • hasty generalisation
  • gross generalisation
  • fair generalisation
  • dangerous generalisation
  • a generalisation that + clause
  • make a generalisation about
  • base a generalisation on
  • avoid generalisations

Prepositions

Etymology

LatinFrenchEnglish

From English 'general' (meaning broad or wide-ranging) + the suffix '-isation' (forming nouns from verbs, equivalent to '-ization' in American English). Ultimately from Latin 'generalis' (belonging to a kind or class), from 'genus' (kind, race, class). The word entered English in the late 1700s and was first used in scientific writing about forming broad rules from observations. Its critical meaning — a claim that overreaches the evidence — became common in the 1800s.