generalization

noun

Etymology: Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *ǵenh₁- Proto-Indo-European *-os Proto-Indo-European *ǵénh₁os Proto-Italic *genos Latin genus, generis Proto-Indo-European *h₂el-der.? Proto-Italic *-ālis Latin -ālis Latin generālisbor. Anglo-Norman generalbor. Middle French generalbor. ▲ Latin generālisder. Middle English general English general Proto-Indo-European *-id- Proto-Indo-European *-yéti Proto-Indo-European *-idyéti Proto-Hellenic *-íďďō Ancient Greek -ῐ́ζω (-ĭ́zō)bor. Late Latin -izōder. Middle French -iserbor. Middle English -isen English -ize Proto-Indo-European *-tis Proto-Indo-European *-Hō Proto-Indo-European *-tiHō Proto-Italic *-tiō Latin -tiō Latin -ātiōlbor. Old French -ationbor. Middle English -acioun English -ation English -ization English generalization From general + -ization.

1. An act or instance of generalizing; concluding that something true of a subclass is true of the entire class.
2. The formulation of general concepts from specific instances by abstracting common properties.
3. Inductive reasoning from detailed facts to general principles.
4. An oversimplified or exaggerated conception, opinion, or image of the members of a group.
5. A proof, axiom, problem, or definition that includes another's cases, and also some additional cases; a conclusion reached by inferring from specific cases to more general cases or principles.

   “A hypersphere is a generalization of a sphere across more than three dimensions.”