Generic

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Generic generally means pertaining or appropriate to large classes or groups as opposed to specific. In particular it may mean:

• Generic mood, a grammatical mood used to make generalized statements like Snow is white
• Generic role-playing game system, a framework that provides rule mechanics for any setting—world or environment or genre

In computer programming:

• Generic function, a computer programming entity made up of all methods having the same name
• Generic programming, (e.g. 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 point in algebraic geometry
• GENERIC formalism, a mathematical framework to describe irreversible phenomena in thermodynamics

In business:

• Generic drug, a near equivalent of a brand name drug.
• 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
• In tradename law, 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:

• A generic is 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.