people; a
universal experience is one from which no human being is exempt. It is dangerous for a debater to
affirm a
universal proposition, since that can be negatived by a single exception, while a
general statement is
not invalidated even by adducing many exceptions. We say a
common opinion,
common experience, a
general
rule,
general truth, a
universal law. Compare synonyms for NORMAL; USUAL.
Antonyms:
exceptional,
infrequent, rare, singular, uncommon, unknown, unusual.
* * * * *
GENEROUS.
Synonyms:
bountiful, free, liberal, noble, chivalrous, free-handed, magnanimous, open-handed, disinterested,
free-hearted, munificent, open-hearted.
Generous (L.
genus, a race) primarily signifies having the qualities worthy
of noble or honorable birth; hence,
free and abundant in giving, giving freely, heartily, and self-sacrificingly. As regards giving,
generous refers
rather to the self-sacrificing heartiness of the giver,
liberal to the amount of the gift; a child may show himself
generous in
the gift of an apple, a millionaire makes a
liberal donation; a
generous gift, however, is
commonly thought of as both ample and hearty. A
munificent gift is vast in amount, whatever the motive of its
bestowal. One may be
free with another's money; he can be
generous only with his own.
Disinterested
suggests rather the thought of one's own self-denial;
generous, of one's hearty interest in another's welfare or
happiness. One is
magnanimous by a greatness of soul (L.
magnus, great, and
animus, soul)
that rises above
all that is poor, mean, or weak, especially above every petty or ignoble motive or feeling pertaining to one's
self, and thus above resentment of injury or insult; one is
generous by a kindness of heart that would rejoice in
the welfare rather than in the punishment of the offender.
Antonyms:
avaricious, greedy, mean, niggardly, penurious, rapacious, close, ignoble, miserly, parsimonious, petty, stingy.
covetous, illiberal,
* * * * *
GENIUS.
Synonyms:
talent, talents.
Genius is exalted intellectual power capable of operating independently
of tuition and training, and marked by
an extraordinary faculty for original creation, invention, discovery, expression, etc.
Talent is marked mental
ability, and in a special sense, a particular and uncommon aptitude for
some special mental work or
attainment.
Genius is higher than
talent, more spontaneous, less dependent upon instruction, less amenable to
training;
talent is largely the capacity to learn, acquire, appropriate, adapt oneself to demand. Yet the
genius
that has won the largest and most enduring success has been joined with tireless industry and painstaking.
Compare synonyms for MIND; POWER.
Antonyms:
Synonyms and Antonyms, by James Champlin Fernald
153
dulness, folly, imbecility, obtuseness, senselessness, stupidity.
* * * * *
GET.
Synonyms:
achieve, attain, gain, procure, secure, acquire, earn, obtain, receive, win.
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