universalitas

Universalitas is a Latin noun meaning universality, totality, or general applicability. Derived from universus “whole, entire,” it denotes the quality of being universal rather than particular.

In medieval philosophy and logic, universalitas was used to describe the status of a term, concept, or proposition that applies to all members of a class. It figures prominently in discussions of universals (universalia) and the debates over realist, conceptualist, and nominalist explanations of shared properties. A key concern is the scope of predication: does the term have universalitas, i.e., does it apply universally, or is its application restricted?

In logic, universalitas relates to universal quantification—statements like “for all x” have universal scope. The notion also appears in theology, metaphysics, and epistemology as a way of signaling broad applicability or reach of a principle, law, or truth. In modern usage, universalitas is mostly encountered in historical, philological, or Latin-language contexts; contemporary English usually employs universal, universality, or universal quantification instead of the Latin term.

Etymology: from Latin universus “whole, entire” with the abstract noun suffix -tas. Related terms include universals, universal quantification, and scholasticism.