Adjective

generic (comparative more generic, superlative most generic)

Positive generic

Comparative more generic

Superlative most generic

1. Very comprehensive; pertaining or appropriate to large classes or groups as opposed to specific

   • "...the essence is that such self-describing poets describe what is in them, but not peculiar to them,---what is generic, not what is special and individual." — Walter Bagehot (1826-1877)

2. (biology) Of, or relating to a genus (not comparable)
3. Not having a brand name
4. Of a drug identified by its chemical name
5. (grammar) Specifying neither masculine nor feminine e.g. salesperson
6. (computing) (Of program code) Written so as to operate on any data type, the type required being passed as a parameter.

Synonyms

• (comprehensive): general

Antonyms

• (comprehensive): specific, proprietary

Generic is something that is general, common, or inclusive rather than specific, unique, or selective.

• Generic mood, a grammatical mood used to make generalized statements like Snow is white
• Generic antecedents, referents in linguistic contexts, which are classes.
• Generic role-playing game system, a framework that provides rule mechanics for any setting—world or environment or genre
• Generic drug, a drug identified by its chemical name rather than its brand name

In computer programming:

• Generic function, a computer programming entity made up of all methods having the same name
• Generic programming, (e.g. Free Pascal, C++, Java and C# generics) a computer programming technique that allows one value to take different datatypes in a type-safe manner
• GENERIC, a component of the GNU Compiler Collection.

In mathematics:

• Generic filter, a mathematical filter that satisfies certain properties.
• Generic point, a special kind of point whose behavior reflects the behavior of a closed subset of an algebraic variety or scheme.
• Generic property, a formal definition of a property shared by almost all objects of a certain type. (For example, almost all functions in a given class or almost all points in a given space.)
• GENERIC formalism, a mathematical framework to describe irreversible phenomena in thermodynamics

In business:

• Generic brand, a brand for a product that does not have an associated brand or trademark other than the trading name of the business providing the product
• Genericized trademark, a trademark that sometimes or usually replaces a common term in colloquial usage
• an ordinary language word which is not a registered tradename.
• Porter generic strategies, a category scheme of business strategies
• Semi-generic, a term used in the United States for certain wine designations that hold no legal meaning

In toponymy:

• the component of a place name that indicates the type of place. For example, in the names Santa Monica Boulevard and Mount Everest, the generics are Boulevard and Mount.

In zoology:

• anything pertaining to a genus.

In music:

• Album - Generic Flipper
• The Nintendo cover-band The Advantage was originally called Generic, and the band Generic is occasionally mentioned in scribblings by members of the band or their labels.