universal

From Middle English universal, from Old French universal (French universel), from Latin universalis.

• (UK) IPA^(key): /ˌjuːnɪˈvɜːsl/
• (US) IPA^(key): /ˌjuːnɪˈvɜːɹsl/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

  Rhymes: -ɜː(r)səl

universal (comparative more universal, superlative most universal)

1. Of or pertaining to the universe.
2. Common to all members of a group or class.
   • 1922, Henry Ford, My Life and Work:

     I had been planning every day through these years toward a universal car.

   • 1911, 1911 Encyclopædia Britannica:

     In Logic, the letter A is used as a symbol for the universal affirmative proposition in the general form "all x is y."

3. Common to all society; worldwide

   She achieved universal fame.

   • a. 1701, John Dryden, “The Life of John Dryden, Esq.”, in The Miscellaneous Works of John Dryden, […], volume I, London: Printed for J[acob] and R[ichard] Tonson, […], published 1760, OCLC 863244003, page xiii:

     [John] Dryden's univerſal genius, his firmly eſtablished reputation, and the glory his memory muſt always reflect upon the nation that gave him birth, make us ardently wiſh for a more accurate life of him than any which has hitherto appeared: […]

4. unlimited; vast; infinite
5. Useful for many purposes; all-purpose.

   universal wrench

• (common to all members of a group or class): general; see also Thesaurus:generic
• (unlimited): see also Thesaurus:infinite
• (useful for many purposes): general-purpose, multi-purpose

• nonuniversal

• universalise, universalize
• universal quantifier

• universe
• university
• universality

• universal on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
• general
• global

• universal in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.
• universal in The Century Dictionary, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911.

universal (plural universals)

1. (philosophy) A characteristic or property that particular things have in common.
   • 1912, Bertrand Russel, The Problems of Philosophy, Chapter 9:

     When we examine common words, we find that, broadly speaking, proper names stand for particulars, while other substantives, adjectives, prepositions, and verbs stand for universals.

   • 1970, John R. Searle, Speech acts‎:

     We might also distinguish those expressions which are used to refer to individuals or particulars from those which are used to refer to what philosophers have called universals: e.g., to distinguish such expressions as "Everest" and "this chair" from "the number three", "the color red" and "drunkenness".

• particular

• S:Catholic Encyclopedia (1913)/Universals
• The Medieval Problem of Universals - Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy

universal (masculine and feminine plural universals)

1. universal

universal m or f (plural universais)

1. of or pertaining to the universe
2. world-wide, universal, common to all cultures

• (world-wide): mundial

• universalidade
• universo

• IPA^(key): /univɛʁˈzaːl/

• Audio

  (file)

• Rhymes: -aːl

universal (comparative universaler, superlative am universalsten)

1. universal

• universall, unyversal, universalle, universell, uniyversale, universele, universel

From Old French universel, from Latin ūniversālis; equivalent to universe +‎ -al.

• IPA^(key): /iu̯niˈvɛrsal/, /iu̯nivɛrˈsaːl/, /iu̯niˈvɛrsɛl/

universal

1. all-encompassing, subject to everything and everyone; having universal significance.
2. (Late Middle English) absolute, subject to everything in a given area or subject (e.g. a settlement; a person)
3. (Late Middle English) frequently practiced, usual, customary.
4. (Late Middle English, rare) Given total leeway and control; with universal power.
5. (Late Middle English, rare) unbiased, unprejudiced, nonpolitical
6. (Late Middle English, rare) general, non-specific, generic
7. (Late Middle English, philosophy, rare) unformed, uncreated, unmade.
8. (Late Middle English, philosophy, rare) theoretical, abstract, general.

• universalite
• universally

• English: universal

• “ūniversā̆l (adj.)” in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007, retrieved 2018-04-31.

universal

1. (Late Middle English, philosophy, rare) A category, class, or classification.

• English: universal

• “ūniversā̆l (adj.)” in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007, retrieved 2018-04-31.

universal

1. (Late Middle English) The whole, all of, every portion of, all parts of.
2. (Late Middle English, rare) Every kind of; all sorts of

• “ūniversā̆l (adj.)” in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007, retrieved 2018-04-31.

universal m (oblique and nominative feminine singular universale)

1. universal

• English: universal (borrowed)
• French: universel

From Latin universalis.

• (Portugal) IPA^(key): /u.ni.vɨɾ.ˈsaɫ/
• Hyphenation: u‧ni‧ver‧sal

universal m or f (plural universais, comparable)

1. Of or pertaining to the universe; universal.
2. Common to all society; universal; world-wide.
3. Common to all members of a group or class; universal.

For quotations of use of this term, see Citations:universal.

• universalidade
• universo

universal (plural universales)

1. universal

• universalidad
• universalmente