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Translation

generalisation

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Word: Generalisation (British English) / Generalization (American English)
Part of Speech: Noun

Basic Explanation:

A "generalisation" is when you take specific examples or facts and use them to create a broad idea or conclusion. It’s a way of thinking that helps us understand things in a simpler way by grouping similar things together.

Usage Instructions:

You can use "generalisation" when you want to talk about making a broad statement based on specific cases. It’s helpful in discussions, writing, and when explaining ideas to others.

Example:
  • Basic Example: "After looking at many different types of birds, I made a generalisation that most birds can fly."
  • Contextual Example: "The teacher made a generalisation about the students' performance based on their test scores."
Advanced Usage:

In psychology, a generalisation can refer to a learned response that applies to similar situations. For example, if a dog learns to associate a bell with food, it might also respond when it hears a similar sound, even if it’s not the exact bell.

Word Variants:
  • Generalise (British English) / Generalize (American English) - verb form
  • Generalised (British English) / Generalized (American English) - past tense
Different Meanings:
  1. Psychological Meaning: Referring to the process where a learned response is applied to similar stimuli (e.g., a dog salivating to a bell sound).
  2. Common Use: Referring to a broad statement that may not apply to every individual case.
Synonyms:
  • Generalization
  • Broad statement
  • Oversimplification (if the generalisation is too simplistic)
Idioms and Phrasal Verbs:

While there are no direct idioms specifically using "generalisation," you can use phrases that suggest broad thinking or assumptions, such as: - "The exception proves the rule." (meaning that one case does not invalidate a general rule) - "Don't judge a book by its cover." (meaning don’t make generalizations based on appearances)

Conclusion:

A generalisation is a useful concept in both everyday conversation and more specialized fields like psychology.

Noun
  1. (psychology) transfer of a response learned to one stimulus to a similar stimulus
  2. reasoning from detailed facts to general principles
  3. the process of formulating general concepts by abstracting common properties of instances
  4. an idea or conclusion having general application
    • he spoke in broad generalities

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