different between universal vs mean

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

Pronunciation

• enPR: m?n, IPA^(key): /mi?n/
• Rhymes: -i?n
• Homophone: mien

Etymology 1

From Middle English menen (“to intend; remember; lament; comfort”), from Old English m?nan (“to mean, signify; lament”), from Proto-Germanic *mainijan? (“to mean, think; lament”), from Proto-Indo-European *meyn- (“to think”).

Germanic cognates include West Frisian miene (“to deem, think”) (Old Frisian m?na (“signify”)), Dutch menen (“to believe, think, mean”) (Middle Dutch menen (“think, intend”)), German meinen (“to think, mean, believe”), Old Saxon m?nian. Indo-European cognates include Old Irish mían (“wish, desire”) and Polish mieni? (“signify, believe”). Related to moan.

Verb

mean (third-person singular simple present means, present participle meaning, simple past and past participle meant)

1. To intend.
   1. (transitive) To intend, to plan (to do); to have as one's intention. [from 8th c.]

   2. (intransitive) To have as intentions of a given kind. [from 14th c.]

   3. (transitive, usually in passive) To intend (something) for a given purpose or fate; to predestine. [from 16th c.]

   4. (transitive) To intend an ensuing comment or statement as an explanation.[1]

2. To convey (a meaning).
   1. (transitive) To convey (a given sense); to signify, or indicate (an object or idea). [from 8th c.]
   2. (transitive) Of a word, symbol etc: to have reference to, to signify. [from 8th c.]

      • A term should be included if it's likely that someone would run across it and want to know what it means. This in turn leads to the somewhat more formal guideline of including a term if it is attested and idiomatic.

   3. (transitive) Of a person (or animal etc): to intend to express, to imply, to hint at, to allude.

3. (transitive) To have conviction in (something said or expressed); to be sincere in (what one says). [from 18th c.]

4. (transitive) To cause or produce (a given result); to bring about (a given result). [from 19th c.]
5. (usually with to) To be of some level of importance.

   That little dog meant everything to me.

   This shared cup of coffee means something to us.

   Formality and titles mean nothing in their circle.

Synonyms

• (convey, signify, indicate): convey, indicate, signify
• (want or intend to convey): imply, mean to say
• (intend; plan on doing): intend
• (have conviction in what one says): be serious
• (have intentions of a some kind):
• (result in; bring about): bring about, cause, lead to, result in

Derived terms

• I mean

Translations

Verb

mean (third-person singular simple present means, present participle meaning, simple past and past participle meaned)

1. (Ireland, Britain regional) To lament.
   • c. 1385, William Langland, Piers Plowman, III:

     Thanne morned Mede · and mened hire to the kynge / To haue space to speke · spede if she my?te.

   • 1560 (1677), Spottiswood Hist. Ch. Scot. iii. (1677), page 144:

     They were forced to mean our estate to the Queen of England.

   • 1845, Wodrow Society Select Biographies:

     All the tyme of his sickness he never said, "Alace!" or meaned any pain, whilk was marvellous. Never man died in greater peace of mind or body.

Translations

Etymology 2

From Middle English mene, imene, from Old English m?ne, ?em?ne (“common, public, general, universal”), from Proto-West Germanic *gamain?, from Proto-Germanic *gamainiz (“common”), from Proto-Indo-European *mey- (“to change, exchange, share”).

Cognate with West Frisian mien (“general, universal”), Dutch gemeen (“common, mean”), German gemein (“common, mean, nasty”), Gothic ???????????????????????????? (gamains, “common, unclean”), Latin comm?nis (“shared, common, general”) (Old Latin comoinem).

Adjective

mean (comparative meaner, superlative meanest)

1. (obsolete) Common; general.
2. Of a common or low origin, grade, or quality; common; humble.

3. Low in quality or degree; inferior; poor; shabby.

4. Without dignity of mind; destitute of honour; low-minded; spiritless; base.
   • Ivanhoe (1952 film)

     Prince John: "Your foe has bloodied you, sir knight. Will you concede defeat? You fight too well to die so mean a death. Will you not throw in your lot with me instead?

     Ivanhoe: "That would be an even meaner death, Your Grace."

   a mean motive

   • 1665, John Dryden, The Indian Emperour

     Can you imagine I so mean could prove, / To save my life by changing of my love?

5. Of little value or worth; worthy of little or no regard; contemptible; despicable.
   • 1708, John Philips, Cyder

     The Roman legions and great Caesar found / Our fathers no mean foes.

6. (chiefly Britain) Ungenerous; stingy; tight-fisted.

7. Disobliging; pettily offensive or unaccommodating
8. Selfish; acting without consideration of others; unkind.

9. Intending to cause harm, successfully or otherwise; bearing ill will towards another

   Synonyms: cruel, malicious

10. Powerful; fierce; strong

    Synonyms: harsh, damaging

11. (colloquial) Accomplished with great skill; deft; hard to compete with.

12. (informal, often childish) Difficult, tricky.

Synonyms

• (intending to cause harm, successfully or otherwise): cruel, malicious, nasty, spiteful
• (miserly; stingy): See also Thesaurus:stingy
• (low-minded; acting without consideration of others): base, ignoble, selfish, unkind, vile
• (powerful): damaging, fierce, harsh, strong
• (accomplished with great skill; deft; hard to compete with): deft, skilful (UK), skillful (US), top-notch
• (inferior): cheap, grotty (slang), inferior, low-quality, naff (UK slang), rough and ready, shoddy, tacky (informal)

Antonyms

• (low-minded; acting without consideration of others): lofty, noble, honorable

Derived terms

Translations

Etymology 3

From Middle English meene, borrowed from Old French meien (French moyen), Late Latin medi?nus (“that is in the middle, middle”), from Latin medius (“middle”). Cognate with mid. For the musical sense, compare the cognate Italian mezzano. Doublet of median and mizzen.

Adjective

mean (not comparable)

1. Having the mean (see noun below) as its value.
2. (obsolete) Middling; intermediate; moderately good, tolerable.
   • , II.ii.2:

     I have declared in the causes what harm costiveness hath done in procuring this disease; if it be so noxious, the opposite must needs be good, or mean at least, as indeed it is […].

   • being of middle age and a mean stature

Derived terms

Related terms

Translations

Noun

mean (plural means)

1. (now chiefly in the plural) A method or course of action used to achieve some result. [from 14th c.]
   • 1603, John Florio, translating Michel de Montaigne, Essays, II.5:

     To say truth, it is a meane full of uncertainty and danger.

   • c. 1812, Samuel Taylor Coleridge, Essays

     You may be able, by this mean, to review your own scientific acquirements.

   • 1860, William Hamilton, Lectures on Metaphysics

     Philosophical doubt is not an end, but a mean.

   • 2011, "Rival visions", The Economist, 14 Apr 2011:

     Mr Obama produced an only slightly less ambitious goal for deficit reduction than the House Republicans, albeit working from a more forgiving baseline: $4 trillion over 12 years compared to $4.4 trillion over 10 years. But the means by which he would achieve it are very different.

2. (obsolete, in the singular) An intermediate step or intermediate steps.
   • a. 1563, Thomas Harding, "To the Reader", in The Works of John Jewel (1845 ed.)

     Verily in this treatise this hath been mine only purpose; and the mean to bring the same to effect hath been such as whereby I studied to profit wholesomely, not to please delicately.

   • 1606, The Trials of Robert Winter, Thomas Winter, Guy Fawkes, John Grant, Ambrose Rookwood, Rob. Keyes, Thomas Bates, and Sir Everard Digby, at Westminster, for High Treason, being Conspirators in the Gunpowder-Plot

     That it was lawful and meritorious to kill and destroy the king, and all the said hereticks. — The mean to effect it, they concluded to be, that, 1. The king, the queen, the prince, the lords spiritual and temporal, the knights and burgoses of the parliament, should be blown up with powder. 2. That the whole royal issue male should be destroyed. S. That they would lake into their custody Elizabeth and Mary the king's daughters, and proclaim the lady Elizabeth queen. 4. That they should feign a Proclamation in the name of Elizabeth, in which no mention should be made of alteration of religion, nor that they were parties to the treason, until they had raised power to perform the same; and then to proclaim, all grievances in the kingdom should be reformed.

   • a. 1623, John Webster, The Duchess of Malfi

     Apply desperate physic: / We must not now use balsamum, but fire, / The smarting cupping-glass, for that's the mean / To purge infected blood, such blood as hers.

3. Something which is intermediate or in the middle; an intermediate value or range of values; a medium. [from 14th c.]
   • 1875, William Smith and Samuel Cheetham, editors, A Dictionary of Christian Antiquities, Little, Brown and Company, volume 1, page 10, s.v. Accentus Ecclesiasticus,

     It presents a sort of mean between speech and song, continually inclining towards the latter, never altogether leaving its hold on the former; it is speech, though always attuned speech, in passages of average interest and importance; it is song, though always distinct and articulate song, in passages demanding more fervid utterance.

4. (music, now historical) The middle part of three-part polyphonic music; now specifically, the alto part in polyphonic music; an alto instrument. [from 15th c.]
   • 1624, John Smith, Generall Historie, in Kupperman 1988, page 147:

     Of these [rattles] they have Base, Tenor, Countertenor, Meane, and Treble.

5. (statistics) The average of a set of values, calculated by summing them together and dividing by the number of terms; the arithmetic mean. [from 15th c.]
6. (mathematics) Any function of multiple variables that satisfies certain properties and yields a number representative of its arguments; or, the number so yielded; a measure of central tendency.
   • 1997, Angus Deaton, The Analysis of Household Surveys: A Microeconometric Approach to Development Policy,^[3] World Bank Publications, ?ISBN, page 51:

     Note that (1.41) is simply the probability-weighted mean without any explicit allowance for the stratification; each observation is weighted by its inflation factor and the total divided by the total of the inflation factors for the survey.

   • 2002, Clifford A. Pickover, The Mathematics of Oz: Mental Gymnastics from Beyond the Edge,^[4] Cambridge University Press, ?ISBN, page 246:

     Luckily, even though the arithmetic mean is unusable, both the harmonic and geometric means settle to precise values as the amount of data increases.

   • 2003, P. S. Bullen, Handbook of Means and Their Inequalities,^[5] Springer, ?ISBN, page 251:

     The generalized power means include power means, certain Gini means, in particular the counter-harmonic means.

7. (mathematics) Either of the two numbers in the middle of a conventionally presented proportion, as 2 and 3 in 1:2=3:6.
   • 1825, John Farrar, translator, An Elementary Treatise on Arithmetic by Silvestre François Lacroix, third edition, page 102,

     ...if four numbers be in proportion, the product of the first and last, or of the two extremes, is equal to the product of the second and third, or of the two means.

   • 1999, Dawn B. Sova, How to Solve Word Problems in Geometry, McGraw-Hill, ?ISBN, page 85,

     Using the means-extremes property of proportions, you know that the product of the extremes equals the product of the means. The ratio t/4 = 5/2 can be rewritten as t:4 = 5:2, in which the extremes are t and 2, and the means are 4 and 5.

   • 2007, Carolyn C. Wheater, Homework Helpers: Geometry, Career Press, ?ISBN, page 99,

     In ${\displaystyle {\frac {18}{27}}={\frac {2}{3}}}$, the product of the means is ${\displaystyle 2\cdot 27}$, and the product of the extremes is ${\displaystyle 18\cdot 3}$. Both products are 54.

Hypernyms

• (statistics): measure of central tendency, measure of location, sample statistic

Coordinate terms

• (statistics): median, mode

Derived terms

Translations

See also

• (statistics): spread, range

Further reading

• mean at OneLook Dictionary Search
• mean in The Century Dictionary, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911.

Anagrams

• -mane, -nema, Amen, Eman, Enma, MENA, Mena, NAmE, NEMA, NMEA, amen, mane, mnae, name, namé, neam, ñame

Manx

Etymology

From Old Irish medón (“middle, centre”), from Latin medi?nus.

Noun

mean m (genitive singular [please provide], plural [please provide])

1. centre, middle

2. interior

3. average

Derived terms

• meanagh (“center, central; intermediate; centric, centrical”, adj)
• mean scoill (“secondary school, college”)

Mutation

Scottish Gaelic

Etymology

From Old Irish menbach (“small”), from a Proto-Celtic derivation of the root *mey- (“small, little”). Cognate with Latin minus, minor, minutus and Ancient Greek ?????? (minúth?, “lessen”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /m?n/

Adjective

mean

1. little, tiny

Synonyms

• beag
• bìodach
• meanbh
• mion

Derived terms

• mean air mhean

Mutation

Spanish

Verb

mean

1. Second-person plural (ustedes) present indicative form of mear.
2. Third-person plural (ellos, ellas, also used with ustedes^?) present indicative form of mear.