generalize vs infer what difference

what is difference between generalize and infer

English

Alternative forms

• generalise (non-Oxford British spelling)

Etymology

general +‎ -ize

Verb

generalize (third-person singular simple present generalizes, present participle generalizing, simple past and past participle generalized)

1. To speak in generalities, or in vague terms.
2. To infer or induce from specific cases to more general cases or principles.
   • 1795, William Nicholson, A Dictionary of Chemistry

     Copernicus generalized the celestial motions by merely referring them to the moon’s motion. Newton generalized them still more by referring this last to the motion of a stone through the air.

3. To derive or deduce (a general concept or principle) from particular facts.
   • August 24, 1831, Samuel Taylor Coleridge, Truth and Maxims

     A mere conclusion generalized from a great multitude of facts.

Synonyms

• (speak in generalities): See also Thesaurus:generalize

Antonyms

• (speak in generalities): See also Thesaurus:specify
• (infer from specific cases): specialize

Derived terms

Related terms

• general

Translations

Portuguese

Verb

generalize

1. first-person singular present subjunctive of generalizar
2. third-person singular present subjunctive of generalizar
3. first-person singular imperative of generalizar
4. third-person singular imperative of generalizar

English

Etymology

From Latin inferō, from Latin in- (“in, at, on; into”) + Latin ferō (“bear, carry; suffer”) (cognate to Old English beran, whence English bear), from Proto-Italic *ferō, from Proto-Indo-European *bʰéreti (“to bear, carry”), from the root *bʰer-. Literally “carry forward”, equivalent to “bear in”, as in concluding from a premise.

Pronunciation

• (General American) IPA^(key): /ɪnˈfɝ/
• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ɪnˈfɜː/
• Rhymes: -ɜː(ɹ)

Verb

infer (third-person singular simple present infers, present participle inferring, simple past and past participle inferred)

1. (transitive) To introduce (something) as a reasoned conclusion; to conclude by reasoning or deduction, as from premises or evidence. [from 16th c.]
   • 2010, “Keep calm, but don’t carry on”, The Economist, 7 Oct 2010:

     It is dangerous to infer too much from martial bluster in British politics: at the first hint of trouble, channelling Churchill is a default tactic for beleaguered leaders of all sorts.

2. (transitive) To lead to (something) as a consequence; to imply. (Now often considered incorrect, especially with a person as subject.) [from 16th c.]
   • a. 1535, Thomas More, letter to Fryth

     the fyrste parte is not the proofe of the second. but rather contrarywyse the seconde inferreth well yͤ fyrst.

3. (obsolete) To cause, inflict (something) upon or to someone. [16th-18th c.]
   • 1596, Edmund Spenser, The Faerie Queene, VI.8:

     faire Serena […] fled fast away, afeard / Of villany to be to her inferd […].

4. (obsolete) To introduce (a subject) in speaking, writing etc.; to bring in. [16th–18th c.]

Usage notes

There are two ways in which the word “infer” is sometimes used as if it meant “imply”. “Implication” is done by a person when making a “statement”, whereas “inference” is done to a proposition after it had already been made or assumed. Secondly, the word “infer” can sometimes be used to mean “allude” or “express” in a suggestive manner rather than as a direct “statement”. Using the word “infer” in this sense is now generally considered incorrect. [1] [2]

Synonyms

• assume, conclude, deduce, educe, construe

Related terms

• inferable
• inference
• illative
• illation
• -ferous (-iferous)

Translations

Anagrams

• -frine, Finer, finer, frine

Latin

Pronunciation

• (Classical) IPA^(key): /ˈin.fer/, [ˈĩːfɛɾ]
• (Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): /ˈin.fer/, [ˈinfɛr]

Verb

īnfer

1. second-person singular present active imperative of īnferō

References

• infer in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879) A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• infer in Gaffiot, Félix (1934) Dictionnaire illustré Latin-Français, Hachette

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