generality

Word family

gen·e·ral·i·ty /ˌdʒenəˈræləti/ noun (plural generalities)

1 [countableC usually plural]DETAIL a very general statement that avoids mentioning details or specific cases 概括的话，笼统的话

The Secretary of State has given us nothing today but bland generalities.

国务卿今天只对我们讲了几句乏味的空话。

2 the generality of something MOST British EnglishBrE formal most of a group of people or things 某群体中大多数的人[物]

Temporary workers are considerably younger than the generality of workers.

临时工比大多数工人年轻不少。

Examples from the Corpus

the generality of something• But experiments using the conditioned suppression procedure have generated doubts about the generality of this conclusion.• The counsellor is helped in interpreting this complex situation by the generality of family behaviour.• However, the generality of this is uncertain.• Another problem that remains unresolved is the generality of the connection between psychosis and creativity.• Stately homes Much of the generality of what has been said about important religious buildings and castles is true about stately homes.• It is important to show the generality of the problem.• If treatment was applied to the generality of elderly people with hypertension these conflicting trial results suggest four possible outcomes.

3. [uncountableU] formalUSEFUL the quality of being true or useful in most situations 普遍性，共通性

Examples from the Corpus

generality• However, the descent into generality applies to all words, and is not confined to any one syntactic category.• The markers that are characteristic of a variety perform social functions at lower and higher levels of generality.• At whatever level of detail or generality, culture consists of signs which are structured and organized like those of language itself.• At the same time, the incident showed his liability to argue from passion and personal animus to philosophical or political generality.• This gives rise to discretionary decisions by adjudicators and administrators, undermining generality and discrediting the ideal of the rule of law.

Chinese

Syllable

Corpus

BNC: 12232 COCA: 17375

generality

Comments and remarks: acknowledgment, afterthought, allusion...

Majority and most: majority, most, maximum...