Glossary of Linguistic Terms

Generic Term

Definition: 

A generic term is a noun or noun phrase that refers to:

  • a whole class
  • any member of a class as a representative of its class
Examples: 

(English)

  • A lion is a noble beast.
  • The lion is a noble beast.
  • Lions are noble beasts.
  • The lions are noble beasts.
See Also: 
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