What does universal mean?

Definitions for universal
ˌyu nəˈvɜr səluni·ver·sal

This dictionary definitions page includes all the possible meanings, example usage and translations of the word universal.

Princeton's WordNet

  1. universal, linguistic universalnoun

    (linguistics) a grammatical rule (or other linguistic feature) that is found in all languages

  2. universal, universal propositionnoun

    (logic) a proposition that asserts something of all members of a class

  3. universalnoun

    a behavioral convention or pattern characteristic of all members of a particular culture or of all human beings

    "some form of religion seems to be a human universal"

  4. universal joint, universaladjective

    coupling that connects two rotating shafts allowing freedom of movement in all directions

    "in motor vehicles a universal joint allows the driveshaft to move up and down as the vehicle passes over bumps"

  5. cosmopolitan, ecumenical, oecumenical, general, universal, worldwide, world-wideadjective

    of worldwide scope or applicability

    "an issue of cosmopolitan import"; "the shrewdest political and ecumenical comment of our time"- Christopher Morley; "universal experience"

  6. universaladjective

    applicable to or common to all members of a group or set

    "the play opened to universal acclaim"; "rap enjoys universal appeal among teenage boys"

  7. universaladjective

    adapted to various purposes, sizes, forms, operations

    "universal wrench", "universal chuck"; "universal screwdriver"

Wiktionary

  1. universalnoun

    A characteristic or property that particular things have in common.

  2. universaladjective

    Of or pertaining to the universe.

  3. universaladjective

    Common to all members of a group or class.

  4. universaladjective

    Common to all society; world-wide

    She achieved universal fame.

  5. universaladjective

    Cosmic; unlimited; vast; infinite

  6. universaladjective

    Useful for many purposes, e.g., universal wrench.

  7. Etymology: From universalis.

Samuel Johnson's Dictionary

  1. Universaladjective

    Etymology: universalis, Lat.

    All sorrowed: if all the world could have seen’t, the woe had been universal. William Shakespeare, Winter Tale.

    Appetite, an universal wolf,
    So doubly seconded with will and power,
    Must make perforce an universal prey,
    And last eat up itself. William Shakespeare, Troilus and Cressida.

    This excellent epistle, though, in the front of it, it bears a particular inscription, yet in the drift of it is universal, as designing to convince all mankind of the necessity of seeking for happiness in the gospel. South.

    From harmony, from heav’nly harmony,
    This universal frame began. Dryden.

    From things particular
    She doth abstract the universal kinds. Davies.

    An universal was the object of imagination, and there was no such thing in reality. Scriblerus Club .

  2. Universalnoun

    The whole; the general system of the universe. Not in use.

    To what end had the angel been set to keep the entrance into paradise after Adam’s expulsion, if the universal had been paradise. Walter Raleigh, Hist. of the World.

    Plato calleth God the cause and original, the nature and reason of the universal. Walter Raleigh.

Wikipedia

  1. Universal

    Universal is a song the British band Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark (OMD) released as the second and last single from their album Universal. The single peaked at number 50 on the UK Singles Chart. This version differs from the original, adding the female singers to the beginning and editing out the lengthy introduction of the album version. It was edited by Pete Lewis. Like the previous single "Walking on the Milky Way", it was released on CD and cassette formats but not on 7" or 12" vinyl. The poor performance of the single and its parent album prompted singer Andy McCluskey to disband the group. It would remain their final single for over a decade until the band's reunion.

ChatGPT

  1. universal

    Universal refers to something that pertains to all things, is experienced or applicable universally, common to all members of a group or set, or is true or valid in all instances or for all cases. It can also refer to concepts, qualities, or phenomena that comprehensively include or affect everything or everyone.

Webster Dictionary

  1. Universaladjective

    of or pertaining to the universe; extending to, including, or affecting, the whole number, quantity, or space; unlimited; general; all-reaching; all-pervading; as, universal ruin; universal good; universal benevolence or benefice

  2. Universaladjective

    constituting or considered as a whole; total; entire; whole; as, the universal world

  3. Universaladjective

    adapted or adaptable to all or to various uses, shapes, sizes, etc.; as, a universal milling machine

  4. Universaladjective

    forming the whole of a genus; relatively unlimited in extension; affirmed or denied of the whole of a subject; as, a universal proposition; -- opposed to particular; e. g. (universal affirmative) All men are animals; (universal negative) No men are omniscient

  5. Universalnoun

    the whole; the general system of the universe; the universe

  6. Universalnoun

    a general abstract conception, so called from being universally applicable to, or predicable of, each individual or species contained under it

  7. Universalnoun

    a universal proposition. See Universal, a., 4

Wikidata

  1. Universal

    In metaphysics, a universal is what particular things have in common, namely characteristics or qualities. In other words, universals are repeatable or recurrent entities that can be instantiated or exemplified by many particular things. For example, suppose there are two chairs in a room, each of which is green. These two chairs both share the quality of "being a chair," as well as greenness or the quality of being green. Metaphysicians call this quality that they share a "universal." There are three major kinds of qualities or characteristics: types or kinds, properties, and relations. These are all different types of universal. The noun "universal" contrasts with "individual", while the adjective "universal" contrasts with "particular". Paradigmatically, universals are abstract, whereas particulars are concrete. However, universals are not necessarily abstract and particulars are not necessarily concrete. For example, one might hold that numbers are particular yet abstract objects. Likewise, some philosophers, such as D.M. Armstrong, consider universals to be concrete. Most do not consider classes to be universals, although some prominent philosophers do, such as John Bigelow.

Chambers 20th Century Dictionary

  1. Universal

    ū-ni-vėr′sal, adj. comprehending, affecting, or extending to the whole: comprising all the particulars: applied to a great variety of uses.—n. a universal proposition, a general term, a universal concept.—n. Universalisā′tion.—v.t. Univer′salise.—ns. Univer′salism, the doctrine or belief of universal salvation, or the ultimate salvation of all mankind, and even of the fallen angels; Univer′salist, a believer in universalism.—adj. pertaining to such beliefs.—adj. Universalist′ic.—n. Universal′ity, state or quality of being universal.—adv. Univer′sally.—n. Univer′salness.—adj. Universan′imous, of one mind. [L. universalisuniversus.]

Editors Contribution

  1. universal

    Applicable to every human being

    The Universal Declaration of Human Rights is applicable to everyone on planet earth.


    Submitted by MaryC on April 11, 2020  


  2. universal

    Relating to the universe.

    The universal truth is that we are one humanity creating together for the benefit of all humanity, animals and nature.


    Submitted by MaryC on February 15, 2020  

British National Corpus

  1. Spoken Corpus Frequency

    Rank popularity for the word 'universal' in Spoken Corpus Frequency: #3631

  2. Adjectives Frequency

    Rank popularity for the word 'universal' in Adjectives Frequency: #495

How to pronounce universal?

How to say universal in sign language?

Numerology

  1. Chaldean Numerology

    The numerical value of universal in Chaldean Numerology is: 5

  2. Pythagorean Numerology

    The numerical value of universal in Pythagorean Numerology is: 4

Examples of universal in a Sentence

  1. Bob Corker:

    To browbeat somebody for just having a question or speak down to someone because they have a concern. To say that they're irrational or they don't understand who we are as a nation, or something like that. Yeah, it doesn't help. It hurts, what would help, and I think this was a universal message in the meeting we just had -- on both sides of the aisle, I might add -- is that someone needs to explain clearly to the American people the processes we go through before we admit refugees.

  2. Bennett Freeman:

    Mr. Bach, your neutrality collides with morality and morality lost, human rights are not neutral ; they are universal. Your icy indifference to human rights is chilling.

  3. Nick Santaniello:

    Our take on games basically is something that's more universal, you don't need 12 buttons, $ 60 or 30 years experience with gaming to hopefully dive in and enjoy these.

  4. Thomas Fuller:

    Hope is the only universal liar who never loses his reputation for veracity.

  5. Jamie Pedersens:

    It's about time we apply some technology, allow some technology, to be applied to this universal human experience both because we think that people should have the freedom to determine for themselves how they'd like their body to be disposed of and also because we have learned over time that there are some more environmentally friendly and safe ways of disposing of human remains.

Popularity rank by frequency of use

universal#1#2156#10000

Translations for universal

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"universal." Definitions.net. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 19 Mar. 2024. <https://www.definitions.net/definition/universal>.

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