ge·ner·ic
jə-ˈner-ik 
-ˈne-rik
1
a
: relating to or characteristic of a whole group or class : general
"Romantic comedy" is the generic term for such films.
b
: not being or having a particular brand name
generic drugs
c
: having no particularly distinctive quality or application
generic restaurants
2
: relating to or having the rank of a biological genus
genericness
noun
: a product (such as a drug) that does not have a brand name
Synonyms
Examples of generic in a Sentence
Adjective
“Flu” is sometimes used as a generic term for any illness caused by a virus.
a love of big things—big cars, big meals—seems to be a generic trait of the American people
Noun
You can substitute generics for brand-name drugs on this health plan.
Recent Examples on the Web
Ayesha Gulzar, Verywell Health, 4 Feb. 2025
About half of generic drugs people take in the U.S. — including cancer drugs, antibiotics and blood thinners — are made entirely overseas, where manufacturing is cheaper, said Dr. Aaron Kesselheim, a professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School whose research focuses on prescription drugs.
—Berkeley Lovelace Jr., NBC News, 4 Feb. 2025
Annika Kim Constantino, CNBC, 6 Feb. 2025
Bristol-Myers Squibb shares declined 1.32% on a surprisingly weak full-year outlook due to generics competition with some of the drugmaker's top selling medications.
—Medora Lee, USA TODAY, 6 Feb. 2025
See all Example Sentences for generic 
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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Adjective
It can be purchased as a generic or brand-name product, such as Unisom.
—Ayesha Gulzar, Verywell Health, 4 Feb. 2025
About half of generic drugs people take in the U.S. — including cancer drugs, antibiotics and blood thinners — are made entirely overseas, where manufacturing is cheaper, said Dr. Aaron Kesselheim, a professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School whose research focuses on prescription drugs.
—Berkeley Lovelace Jr., NBC News, 4 Feb. 2025
Noun
Also on Thursday, Bristol Myers Squibb issued full-year 2025 guidance that fell short of Wall Street’s expectations, as some of the company’s older drugs face competition from cheaper generics.
—Annika Kim Constantino, CNBC, 6 Feb. 2025
Bristol-Myers Squibb shares declined 1.32% on a surprisingly weak full-year outlook due to generics competition with some of the drugmaker's top selling medications.
—Medora Lee, USA TODAY, 6 Feb. 2025
See all Example Sentences for generic
Dictionary Entries Near generic
Cite this Entry
“Generic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/generic. Accessed 11 Feb. 2025.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
generic
1 of 2 adjective
ge·ner·ic
jə-ˈner-ik
1
: not protected by trademark registration : nonproprietary
nylon and aspirin are generic names
—used especially in trademark law
2
: relating to or having the rank of a biological genus
generic
2 of 2 noun
: a generic drug
—usually used in plural
Legal Definition
generic
adjective
ge·ner·ic
jə-ˈner-ik
1
: common or descriptive and not entitled to trademark protection : nonproprietary
the generic name of a drug
2
: having a nonproprietary name
generic drugs
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