generella

Generella is a Swedish adjective meaning general or broad in scope. It is used before plural nouns to describe things that apply widely rather than to a specific instance. The form generella is the plural inflection used with plural nouns, for example generella riktlinjer, generella principer, generella egenskaper. The corresponding singular forms are generell (used with en-words) and ett generellt råd (used with neuter nouns). In definite form, phrases usually become de generella principerna or den generella principen.

Etymology and usage context: the word derives from Latin generalis, via French général, and entered Swedish in the modern period. It is a standard term in policy, administration, academia and journalism to indicate broad applicability.

Usage notes: generella is typically chosen when speaking of guidelines, principles, properties or categories that apply across multiple cases rather than to a single item. The opposite forms are specifika or särskilda for concrete items. Generella is closely related to allmänna, though the sense of scope differs: generella emphasizes wider applicability, while allmänna can also carry nuances of public norms or general conventions.

Examples: Föreslagna generella riktlinjer bör följas av alla avdelningar. Forskningen fokuserar på generella principer för problemlösning och generella egenskaper hos materialet.

See also: allmänna regler, generellt, allmän.