generic
adjective
ge·ner·ic
| \ jə-ˈner-ik
, -ˈne-rik\
, -ˈne-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
\ jə-ˈner-i-k(ə-)lē
, -ˈne-ri- \
adverb
, -ˈne-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
“Flu” is sometimes used as a generic term for any illness caused by a virus. a love of big things—big cars, big meals—seems 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
But a generic name — CSN Stores, a combination of Shah’s and cofounder Steve Conine’s initials — and a Newbury Street address offered them a degree of respectability following the dot-com bust of the early 2000s. — Globe Staff, BostonGlobe.com, "Wayfair’s Niraj Shah, on the home furnishing site’s path to profitability," 6 Aug. 2019 Among voters surveyed, the ineffective label moved the most voters toward a generic Democratic candidate; the racist label moved the fewest. — Jonathan Martin, New York Times, "Why a Race-Baiting Trump Is Courting Black Voters," 3 Aug. 2019 Diphenhydramine and Zolpidem are the generic names of Benadryl and Ambien, respectively, while temazepam is a sedative sold under the name Restoril. — Tom Steele, Dallas News, "Missy Shorey, first woman elected to lead Dallas County GOP, died from accidental mix of alcohol, sleeping aids," 2 Aug. 2019 Beyond lower generic drug prices, Mylan has suffered from reputational setbacks in recent years. — Lucinda Shen, Fortune, "Term Sheet —— July 29," 29 July 2019 The first generic competitor to Mylan's EpiPen, the emergency treatment for allergic reactions, gained FDA approval last year. — Jordan Valinsky, CNN, "Viagra and EpiPen drugmakers form a $20-billion-a-year powerhouse," 29 July 2019 Founded in 1978, Par quickly established itself in the generic drug industry. — Anchorage Daily News, "Little-known makers of generic drugs played central role in opioid crisis, records show," 27 July 2019 Currently all blood types are needed, especially O negative which is the generic blood type people are given if in an emergency their blood type is unknown. — Christopher Harress | Charress@al.com, al, "Mobile in need as national blood shortage ‘worst’ in 15 years," 25 July 2019 Warren’s single-digit likability number stood in stark contrast to her overall favorability numbers (favorability is more of a generic polling question). — Ella Nilsen, Vox, "“Likability” ratings in a recent New Hampshire poll show just how tough female candidates have it," 23 July 2019Recent Examples on the Web: Noun
GenBioPro won’t 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, "America’s 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 — the vast majority of them generics, not brand names — 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 kids’ 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 product’s patent protection expires. — Michael Eisenstein, Scientific American, "The Little-known History and Global Future of Quality Medicines," 31 May 2018 That could leave them on the hook for hundreds or thousands of dollars in expenses for any brand-name drug, and even for some generics. — Michael Hiltzik, latimes.com, "The fine print of those short-term health plans favored by Trump: Don't get sick on a weekend," 26 Apr. 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
| \ jə-ˈner-ik
\
\
Medical Definition of generic
(Entry 1 of 2)
1