generalise

IPA/ˈdʒen.ər.əl.aɪz/
IPA/ˈdʒen.ər.əl.aɪz/

generalise — verb

  • generalisepresent simple I / you / we / they
  • generalises3rd person singular
  • generalising-ing form
  • generalisedpast simple

1. to make a broad statement claiming that a rule applies in every situation, when

1.動詞及物 / 不及物B2
釋義

to make a broad statement claiming that a rule applies in every situation, when you have only seen or experienced a few examples

例句

After trying one durian fruit, Grandma Rosa generalised about all Southeast Asian food from that single experience.

generalise + about + noun phrase for broad claims

Dr. Ofori warned that we cannot generalise from a single study to every patient.

generalise + from + noun phrase + to + noun phrase

同義詞
  • oversimplify

    stronger negative connotation; implies the claim is not just broad but wrong because it ignores complexity

  • stereotype

    specifically about groups of people, with a judgmental tone suggesting bias

  • lump together

    informal phrasal verb meaning to treat different things as the same

反義詞
  • specify

    to state something in a precise, narrow way rather than broadly

  • qualify

    to add conditions or exceptions to a statement, making it less general

文法句型

generalise + about + noun phrase

generalise + from + noun phrase + to + noun phrase

generalise + that-clause

用法筆記

Often carries a cautionary or critical tone (cannot generalise, try not to generalise, it is unfair to generalise). The preposition about introduces the topic of the claim; from introduces the limited evidence; to introduces the broad scope. A that-clause states the sweeping rule directly.

常見錯誤

❌We can generalise all students like studying.
✅We cannot generalise about all students' preferences.
💡generalise is typically intransitive; use about/from before the object.
❌The data generalises every case.
✅We can generalise from the data to other cases.
💡generalise does not take a direct object meaning 'apply to'; use from...to... to show the reasoning path.