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General vs Generic

Definitions​

  • ‘General’ (adj) means ‘affecting or involving all or most people, things, or places; widespread or common’.
  • ‘Generic’ (adj) means ‘representative or typical of a whole group of similar things’.

What’s the difference between ‘general’ and ‘generic’?​

Although they may appear similar, these meanings are slightly different. ‘General’ denotes wide applicability, while ‘generic’ denotes plainness or a lack of outstanding characteristics.

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How they’re used​

Example sentences with ‘general’

  • A general agreement was noted among the practitioner community.
  • Studies have consistently reported vitamin D deficiency in the general population.

Example sentences with ‘generic’

  • This paper presents a generic theory for sinuous flow patterns in landscapes.
  • The contribution of discipline background to conceptions of generic attributes is discussed.