generalize
gen|er|al|ize /dʒ'enrəlaɪz/ (generalizes generalizing generalized)
in BRIT, also use generalise
1 [VERB] V, V prep
If you generalize, you say something that seems to be true in most situations or for most people, but that may not be completely true in all cases.
`In my day, children were a lot better behaved'.--`It's not true, you're generalizing'...
It's hard to generalize about Cole Porter because he wrote so many great songs that were so varied.
2 [VERB] V n across/to n
If you generalize something such as an idea, you apply it more widely than its original context, as if it was true in many other situations.
A child first labels the household pet cat as a `cat' and then generalises this label to other animals that look like it.
in BRIT, also use generalise
1 [VERB] V, V prep
If you generalize, you say something that seems to be true in most situations or for most people, but that may not be completely true in all cases.
`In my day, children were a lot better behaved'.--`It's not true, you're generalizing'...
It's hard to generalize about Cole Porter because he wrote so many great songs that were so varied.
2 [VERB] V n across/to n
If you generalize something such as an idea, you apply it more widely than its original context, as if it was true in many other situations.
A child first labels the household pet cat as a `cat' and then generalises this label to other animals that look like it.