( BrE also gen·er·al·ise ) / ˈdʒenrəlaɪz; NAmE / verb
1.
[ v ] generalize (from sth) to use a particular set of facts or ideas in order to form an opinion that is considered valid for a different situation :
It would be foolish to generalize from a single example.
2.
[ v ] generalize (about sth) to make a general statement about sth and not look at the details :
It is dangerous to generalize about the poor.
3.
[ vn ] [ often passive ] generalize sth (to sth) ( formal ) to apply a theory, idea, etc. to a wider group or situation than the original one :
These conclusions cannot be generalized to the whole country.
••
WORD ORIGIN
Middle English (in the sense reduce to a general statement ): from general + -ize .