generic
adjective
ge·ner·ic
| \ jÉ-Ëner-ik
, -Ëne-rik\
, -Ëne-rik\
Definition of generic
(Entry 1 of 2)
1a
: relating to or characteristic of a whole group or class : general
"Romantic comedy" is the generic term for such films.
b
: not being or having a particular brand name
generic drugs
c
: having no particularly distinctive quality or application
generic restaurants
2
: relating to or having the rank of a biological genus
generic
nounDefinition of generic (Entry 2 of 2)
: a product (such as a drug) that does not have a brand name
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Other Words from generic
Adjective
generically
\ jÉ-Ëner-i-k(É-)lÄ
, -Ëne-ri- \
adverb
, -Ëne-ri- \
adverb
genericness
noun
Synonyms & Antonyms for generic
Synonyms: Adjective
across-the-board, blanket, broad-brush, common, general, global, overall, universal
Antonyms: Adjective
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Examples of generic in a Sentence
Adjective
âFluâ is sometimes used as a generic term for any illness caused by a virus. a love of big thingsâbig cars, big mealsâseems to be a generic trait of the American peopleNoun
You can substitute generics for brand-name drugs on this health plan.
Recent Examples on the Web: Adjective
Who is looking out for seniors who have expensive drugs that do not have a generic? — Letter Writers, Twin Cities, "Letters: My name worked fine until a DMV clerk changed it," 18 Aug. 2019 But a generic, Atorvastatin, has also recently become available for just $10 per month. — The Economist, "Why Americaâs biggest charities are owned by pharmaceutical companies," 15 Aug. 2019 That is, the FDA holds back on approving additional generic versions of a drug for that period. — Beth Mole, Ars Technica, "Big Pharma is using faux generics to keep drug prices high, critics say," 8 Aug. 2019 Pfizer, the country's largest drugmaker, is creating a hybrid new drug company by combining its off-patent branded drug business with the generic pharmaceutical company Mylan. — Linda A. Johnson, chicagotribune.com, "Pfizer to merge its off-patent drug business with EpiPen maker Mylan to create a generic giant," 29 July 2019 Three years before Purdue's settlement, the Food and Drug Administration approved the first generic versions of OxyContin, known as oxycodone hydrochloride. — Anchorage Daily News, "Little-known makers of generic drugs played central role in opioid crisis, records show," 27 July 2019 Leith now is on a generic, non-biologic drug, mycophenolate, which also suppresses the immune system. — John Fauber, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "A drug's most dangerous side effects often aren't discovered until it's on the market," 18 July 2019 The Bats uniforms of recent years are a little more generic. — Lucas Aulbach, The Courier-Journal, "The history behind the Louisville Bats' beautiful Throwback Weekend Riverbats uniforms," 12 July 2019 But a generic name â CSN Stores, a combination of Shahâs and cofounder Steve Conineâs initials â and a Newbury Street address offered them a degree of respectability following the dot-com bust of the early 2000s. — Globe Staff, BostonGlobe.com, "Wayfairâs Niraj Shah, on the home furnishing siteâs path to profitability," 6 Aug. 2019Recent Examples on the Web: Noun
The company also said in a statement that since 2008, its painkillers accounted for less than 1 percent of the U.S. market, including generics. — Reuters, The Mercury News, "Johnson & Johnson hit with $572 million opioid ruling," 26 Aug. 2019 GenBioPro wonât say exactly what the cost for its generic will be, but the company expects the introduction of its product to bring prices down through competition. — Anna North, Vox, "Americaâs first generic abortion pill, explained," 20 Aug. 2019 Prices for generics range from about $140 to $370 per month, according to comparison site GoodRx. — SFChronicle.com, "Daily Briefing, July 23," 22 July 2019 Records kept by the federal Drug Enforcement Administration show that 76 billion oxycodone and hydrocodone pills â the vast majority of them generics, not brand names â were shipped to U.S. pharmacies from 2006 to 2012. — Matthew Perrone, chicagotribune.com, "76 billion oxycodone and hydrocodone pills shipped to U.S. pharmacies from 2006 to 2012, records show," 17 July 2019 In addition to the Prozac generic, the drugs that saw triple-digit increases included the topical steroid Mometasone, which had a price increase of 381%. — Beth Mole, Ars Technica, "879% drug price hike is one of 3,400 in 2019 so far; rate of hikes increasing," 2 July 2019 So how to explain the way cinema processes so many diverse, nuanced books into generic, nearly identical hunks of cookie-cutter product? — Tasha Robinson, The Verge, "Films like The House With a Clock In Its Walls are poisonous to kidsâ cinema," 23 Sep. 2018 Ask your doctor about switching from more expensive brand-name drugs to generics. — Susan Moeller, BostonGlobe.com, "Stop giving so much money to your kids, and 8 more ways to afford retirement," 5 June 2018 Public quality standards play an important role in facilitating the entry of multiple generics into the market once a productâs patent protection expires. — Michael Eisenstein, Scientific American, "The Little-known History and Global Future of Quality Medicines," 31 May 2018These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'generic.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for generic
generic
adjective
English Language Learners Definition of generic
(Entry 1 of 2)
: of or relating to a whole group or class
: not sold or made under a particular brand name
biology
: of or relating to a genus
generic
nounEnglish Language Learners Definition of generic (Entry 2 of 2)
: a product (such as a drug) that is not sold or made under a particular brand name : a generic product
See the full definition for generic in the English Language Learners Dictionary
generic
adjective
ge·ner·ic
| \ jÉ-Ëner-ik
\
\
Medical Definition of generic
(Entry 1 of 2)
1