Generic Statement
A core concept in linguistics and psycholinguistics referring to sentences that express regularities at the category level without the use of quantifiers and that allow exceptions. Their meaning is difficult to characterize simply in terms of truth conditions, and research has shifted its focus to acceptability.
Timeline (last 90 days)
Human acceptance of generic statements depends not only on the frequency with which a property occurs in a category but is also influenced by factors such as distinctiveness and characteristicness.
Psycholinguistic research shows that human judgments of generic statements are also influenced by 'strikingness' (whether the property is striking).
Generic statements are sentences that express category-level regularities without quantifiers such as 'all' or 'most', and they allow exceptions to exist.
All Facts (3)
Human acceptance of generic statements depends not only on the frequency with which a property occurs in a category but is also influenced by factors such as distinctiveness and characteristicness.
50%UnverifiedPsycholinguistic research shows that human judgments of generic statements are also influenced by 'strikingness' (whether the property is striking).
50%UnverifiedGeneric statements are sentences that express category-level regularities without quantifiers such as 'all' or 'most', and they allow exceptions to exist.
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