different between universal vs commonplace

English

Etymology

From Middle English universal, from Old French universal (modern French universel), from Latin ?nivers?lis.

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /?ju?n??v??sl?/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /?jun??v?sl?/
• Rhymes: -??(?)s?l
• Hyphenation: uni?ver?sal

Adjective

universal (comparative more universal, superlative most universal)

1. Of or pertaining to the universe.
2. Common to all members of a group or class.
3. Common to all society; worldwide
4. unlimited; vast; infinite
5. Useful for many purposes; all-purpose.

Synonyms

• (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

Antonyms

• nonuniversal

Derived terms

• universalise, universalize
• universal quantifier
• universally

Related terms

• universe
• university
• universality

Translations

See also

• universal on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
• general
• global

Further reading

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

Noun

universal (plural universals)

1. (philosophy) A characteristic or property that particular things have in common.

See also

• particular

Further reading

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

Catalan

Etymology

From Latin ?nivers?lis, first attested circa 1400.

Pronunciation

• (Balearic) IPA^(key): /u.ni.v???sal/
• (Central) IPA^(key): /u.ni.b?r?sal/
• (Valencian) IPA^(key): /u.ni.ve??sal/

Adjective

universal (masculine and feminine plural universals)

1. universal

Derived terms

• universalment

Related terms

• univers
• universalitat

Further reading

• “universal” in Diccionari de la llengua catalana, segona edició, Institut d’Estudis Catalans.
• “universal” in Diccionari normatiu valencià, Acadèmia Valenciana de la Llengua.
• “universal” in Diccionari català-valencià-balear, Antoni Maria Alcover and Francesc de Borja Moll, 1962.

References

Galician

Etymology

From Latin ?nivers?lis.

Pronunciation

Adjective

universal m or f (plural universais)

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

Synonyms

• (world-wide): mundial

Related terms

• universalidade
• universo

Further reading

• “universal” in Dicionario da Real Academia Galega, Royal Galician Academy.

German

Etymology

From Latin ?nivers?lis.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /univ???za?l/
• Rhymes: -a?l

Adjective

universal (comparative universaler, superlative am universalsten)

1. universal

Declension

Further reading

• “universal” in Duden online

Middle English

Alternative forms

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

Etymology

From Old French universel, from Latin ?nivers?lis; equivalent to universe +? -al.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /iu?ni?v?rsal/, /iu?niv?r?sa?l/, /iu?ni?v?rs?l/

Adjective

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.

Derived terms

• universalite
• universally

Descendants

• English: universal

References

• “?nivers??l, adj.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007, retrieved 2018-04-31.

Noun

universal

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

Descendants

• English: universal

References

• “?nivers??l, adj.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007, retrieved 2018-04-31.

Determiner

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

References

• “?nivers??l, adj.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007, retrieved 2018-04-31.

Occitan

Etymology

From Latin ?nivers?lis.

Adjective

universal m (feminine singular universala, masculine plural universals, feminine plural universalas)

1. universal

Derived terms

• universalament

Related terms

• univèrs
• universalitat

Old French

Etymology

From Latin ?nivers?lis.

Adjective

universal m (oblique and nominative feminine singular universale)

1. universal

Descendants

• French: universel
• ? Middle English: universal, universall, unyversal, universalle, universell, uniyversale, universele, universel
  • English: universal

Piedmontese

Alternative forms

• üniversal

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /yniv?r?sal/

Adjective

universal

1. universal

Portuguese

Etymology

From Latin ?nivers?lis.

Pronunciation

• (Portugal) IPA^(key): /u.ni.v??.?sa?/
• Hyphenation: u?ni?ver?sal

Adjective

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.

Inflection

Quotations

For quotations using this term, see Citations:universal.

Derived terms

• universalmente

Related terms

• universalidade
• universo

Further reading

• “universal” in Dicionário Aberto based on Novo Diccionário da Língua Portuguesa de Cândido de Figueiredo, 1913

Romanian

Etymology

From French universel, from Latin universalis.

Adjective

universal m or n (feminine singular universal?, masculine plural universali, feminine and neuter plural universale)

1. universal

Declension

Related terms

• univers
• universalitate

Spanish

Etymology

From Latin ?nivers?lis.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /unibe??sal/, [u.ni.??e??sal]
• Hyphenation: u?ni?ver?sal

Adjective

universal (plural universales)

1. universal

Derived terms

• universalmente

Related terms

• universalidad
• universo

Anagrams

• vulneráis

Further reading

• “universal” in Diccionario de la lengua española, Vigésima tercera edición, Real Academia Española, 2014.

English

Etymology

A calque of Latin locus comm?nis, referring to a generally applicable literary passage, itself a calque of Ancient Greek ?????? ????? (koinòs tópos).

Pronunciation

• (General American) IPA^(key): /?k?m?n?ple?s/
• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /?k?m?n?ple?s/
• Hyphenation: com?mon?place

Adjective

commonplace (comparative more commonplace, superlative most commonplace)

1. Ordinary; not having any remarkable characteristics.

   Synonyms: routine, undistinguished, unexceptional; see also Thesaurus:hackneyed

   Antonyms: distinguished, inimitable, unique

Translations

Noun

commonplace (plural commonplaces)

1. A platitude or cliché.
2. Something that is ordinary; something commonly done or occurring.
3. A memorandum; something to be frequently consulted or referred to.
   • 1710, Jonathan Swift, A Discourse concerning the Mechanical Operation of the Spirit

     Whatever, in my reading, occurs concerning this our fellow creature, I do never fail to set it down by way of common-place.

4. A commonplace book.

Translations

Verb

commonplace (third-person singular simple present commonplaces, present participle commonplacing, simple past and past participle commonplaced)

1. To make a commonplace book.
2. To enter in a commonplace book, or to reduce to general heads.
   • 1711, Henry Felton, Dissertation on Reading the Classics

     I do not apprehend any difficulty in collecting and commonplacing an universal history from the […] historians.

3. (obsolete) To utter commonplaces; to indulge in platitudes.

   (Can we find and add a quotation of Francis Bacon to this entry?)

Related terms

• commonplace book