generic
generic Lexical Profile
generic Game Scores & Validity
• adjective
Relating to or characteristic of a whole class, group, or category of things; not specific or special.
"Fluids and rest are the standard generic recommendations for recovering from a mild viral infection."
(Of a consumer product, especially a pharmaceutical drug) having no brand name or registered trademark.
"The pharmacist asked if I wanted the generic version of the medication to save money."
Lacking imagination, individuality, or distinctiveness; conventional and interchangeable.
"The movie struggled at the box office because audiences found the plot too generic and predictable."
(In biology) relating to or denoting a taxonomic genus.
"In binomial nomenclature, the generic name is always capitalized while the specific epithet is written in lowercase."
• noun
A consumer product, especially a pharmaceutical medication, that is sold without a brand name or registered trademark.
"Many health insurance plans encourage patients to switch to generics to reduce prescription costs."
Word Nuance & Usage
Do not confuse 'generic' with 'general': while 'general' means widespread or not limited to one specific detail, 'generic' emphasizes that something belongs to an entire class, lacks a trademarked brand name, or is uninspired and interchangeable.
• Rhymes for generic
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
Borrowed in the late 17th century from French générique, formed from Latin genus (stem gener-), meaning 'kind, race, or class', plus the adjective suffix -ic.