ge·ner·ic
jə-ˈner-ik 
-ˈne-rik
1
a
: 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
genericness
noun
: a product (such as a drug) that does not have a brand name
Synonyms
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 people
Noun
You can substitute generics for brand-name drugs on this health plan.
Recent Examples on the Web
Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 14 Nov. 2024
Leaning too heavily on AI often leads to efforts that can seem technical and impersonal, full of bland phrasing and generic messaging.
—Antony Robinson, Forbes, 6 Nov. 2024
Sasha Rogelberg, Fortune Asia, 31 Oct. 2024
However, the authorized generic was not covered by her insurance.
—Dr. Sejal Parekh, ABC News, 29 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for generic 
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Adjective
Conversely, Dune and Dune: Part Two have some generic images of brown people unintelligibly wailing in a temple — a pale comparison to the source material.
—Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 14 Nov. 2024
Leaning too heavily on AI often leads to efforts that can seem technical and impersonal, full of bland phrasing and generic messaging.
—Antony Robinson, Forbes, 6 Nov. 2024
Noun
Beijing’s push to replace expensive foreign brands of off-patent medications with cheap domestic generics saw AstraZeneca lose substantial revenue in treatments like cancer drug Iressa and heart medicine Crestor.
—Sasha Rogelberg, Fortune Asia, 31 Oct. 2024
However, the authorized generic was not covered by her insurance.
—Dr. Sejal Parekh, ABC News, 29 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for generic
Dictionary Entries Near generic
Cite this Entry
“Generic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/generic. Accessed 29 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
generic
1 of 2 adjective
ge·ner·ic
jə-ˈner-ik
1
: not protected by trademark registration : nonproprietary
nylon and aspirin are generic names
—used especially in trademark law
2
: relating to or having the rank of a biological genus
generic
2 of 2 noun
: a generic drug
—usually used in plural
Legal Definition
generic
adjective
ge·ner·ic
jə-ˈner-ik
1
: common or descriptive and not entitled to trademark protection : nonproprietary
the generic name of a drug
2
: having a nonproprietary name
generic drugs
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