generalise
UK: ˈdʒenrəlaɪz | US: ˈdʒenrəlaɪz
vt. To make a broad statement or conclusion based on specific instances.
vt. To apply a general principle to various particular cases.
vi. To form general concepts or principles from specific observations.
The word generalise emerged in the early 19th century, combining general (a term rooted in Latin genus, reflecting broad categorization) with the suffix -ise, which transforms nouns into verbs. This construction mirrors the logical process of extending specific observations to universal principles—a core concept in science, philosophy, and everyday reasoning.
Researchers often generalise findings from small samples to larger populations.
It’s unwise to generalise about cultural habits based on limited experiences.
The model generalises well to unseen data.
She tends to generalise her personal opinions as universal truths.
The teacher encouraged students to generalise patterns from the experiment.