Adjacent Words

Universal definitions

	Tweet

Webster's 1828 Dictionary

UNIVERS'AL, a. [L. universalis;unus and versor.]
1. All; extending to or comprehending the whole number, quantity or space; as universal ruin; universal good; universal benevolence.
The universal cause acts not by partial, but by general laws.
2. Total; whole.
From harmony, from heav'nly harmony, this universal frame began.
3. Comprising all the particulars; as universal kinds.
4. In botany, a universal umbel, is a primary or general umbel; the first or largest set of rays in a compound umbel; opposed to partial. A universal involucre is placed at the foot of a universal umbel.
Universal instrument, is one which measures all kinds of distances, lengths, etc.; as the pantometer or holometer.
Universal dial, is a dial by which the hour may be found by the sun in any part of the world, or under any elevation of the pole.
Universal proposition. [See the noun.]
UNIVERS'AL, n. [See the adjective.]
1. In logic, a universal is complex or incomplex. A complex universal, is either a universal proposition, as "every whole is greater than its parts," or whatever raises a manifold conception in the mind, as the definition of a reasonable animal.
An incomplex universal, is what produces one conception only in the mind, and is a simple thing respecting many; as human nature, which relates to every individual in which it is found.
2. The whole; the general system of the universe. [Not in use.]

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

adj
1: of worldwide scope or applicability; "an issue of cosmopolitan import"; "the shrewdest political and ecumenical comment of our time"- Christopher Morley; "universal experience" [syn: cosmopolitan, ecumenical, oecumenical, general, universal, worldwide, world-wide]
2: 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"
3: adapted to various purposes, sizes, forms, operations; "universal wrench", "universal chuck"; "universal screwdriver" n
1: (linguistics) a grammatical rule (or other linguistic feature) that is found in all languages [syn: universal, linguistic universal]
2: (logic) a proposition that asserts something of all members of a class [syn: universal, universal proposition] [ant: particular, particular proposition]
3: 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: 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" [syn: universal joint, universal]

Merriam Webster's

I. adjective Etymology: Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Latin universalis, from universum universe Date: 14th century 1. including or covering all or a whole collectively or distributively without limit or exception; especially available equitably to all members of a society <universal health coverage> 2. a. present or occurring everywhere b. existent or operative everywhere or under all conditions <universal cultural patterns> 3. a. embracing a major part or the greatest portion (as of mankind) <a universal state> <universal practices> b. comprehensively broad and versatile <a universal genius> 4. a. affirming or denying something of all members of a class or of all values of a variable b. denoting every member of a class <a universal term> 5. adapted or adjustable to meet varied requirements (as of use, shape, or size) <a universal gear cutter> <a universal remote control> • universally adverb • universalness noun II. noun Date: 1553 1. one that is universal: as a. a universal proposition in logic b. a predicable of traditional logic c. a general concept or term or something in reality to which it corresponds ; essence 2. a. a behavior pattern or institution (as the family) existing in all cultures b. a culture trait characteristic of all normal adult members of a particular society

Britannica Concise

In epistemology and logic, a general term representing a property, form, or principle of classification. The problem of universals concerns the question of what sort of being should be ascribed to such principles of classification (e.g., is there is any such thing as an essence of redness that exists apart from particular red things?). The debate over the status of universals stems from Plato's theory of forms. Aristotle argued against Plato that forms (universals) exist only in the particulars in which they are exemplified. Though both were realists about universals (see realism), they differed over the existence of universals independently of their particular exemplars (universalia ante rem)..

Oxford Reference Dictionary

adj. & n. --adj. 1 of, belonging to, or done etc. by all persons or things in the world or in the class concerned; applicable to all cases (the feeling was universal; met with universal approval). 2 Logic (of a proposition) in which something is asserted of all of a class (opp. PARTICULAR). --n. 1 Logic a universal proposition. 2 Philos. a a term or concept of general application. b a nature or essence signified by a general term. Phrases and idioms: universal agent an agent empowered to do all that can be delegated. universal compass a compass with legs that may be extended for large circles. universal coupling (or joint) a coupling or joint which can transmit rotary power by a shaft at any selected angle. universal language an artificial language intended for use by all nations. universal proposition Logic a proposition in which the predicate is affirmed or denied of all members of a class (opp. particular proposition). universal suffrage a suffrage extending to all adults with minor exceptions. universal time = GREENWICH MEAN TIME. Derivatives: universality n. universalize v.tr. (also -ise). universalization n. universally adv. Etymology: ME f. OF universal or L universalis (as UNIVERSE)

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Universal U`ni*ver"sal, n. 1. The whole; the general system of the universe; the universe. [Obs.] Plato calleth God the cause and original, the nature and reason, of the universal. --Sir W. Raleigh. 2. (Logic) (a) A general abstract conception, so called from being universally applicable to, or predicable of, each individual or species contained under it. (b) A universal proposition. See Universal, a., 4.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Universal U`ni*ver"sal, a. [L. universalis: cf. F. universel, OF. also universal. See Universe.] 1. 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. ``Anointed universal King.'' --Milton. The universal cause Acts not by partial, but by general laws. --Pope. This universal frame began. --Dryden. Note: Universal and its derivatives are used in common discourse for general and its derivatives. See General. 2. Constituting or considered as a whole; total; entire; whole; as, the universal world. --Shak. At which the universal host up dent A shout that tore Hell's concave. --Milton. 3. (Mech.) Adapted or adaptable to all or to various uses, shapes, sizes, etc.; as, a universal milling machine. 4. (Logic) 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. Universal chuck (Mach.), a chuck, as for a lathe, having jaws which can be moved simultaneously so as to grasp objects of various sizes. Universal church, the whole church of God in the world; the catholic church. See the Note under Catholic, a., 1. Universal coupling. (Mach.) Same as Universal joint, below. Universal dial, a dial by which the hour may be found in any part of the world, or under any elevation of the pole. Universal instrument (Astron.), a species of altitude and azimuth instrument, the peculiarity of which is, that the object end of the telescope is placed at right angles to the eye end, with a prism of total reflection at the angle, and the eye end constitutes a portion of the horizontal axis of the instrument, having the eyepiece at the pivot and in the center of the altitude circle, so that the eye has convenient access to both at the same time. Universal joint (Mach.), a contrivance used for joining two shafts or parts of a machine endwise, so that the one may give rotary motion to the other when forming an angle with it, or may move freely in all directions with respect to the other, as by means of a cross connecting the forked ends of the two shafts (Fig. 1). Since this joint can not act when the angle of the shafts is less than 140[deg], a double joint of the same kind is sometimes used for giving rotary motion at angles less than 140[deg] (Fig. 2). Universal umbel (Bot.), a primary or general umbel; the first or largest set of rays in a compound umbel; -- opposed to partial umbel. A universal involucre is not unfrequently placed at the foot of a universal umbel. Syn: General; all; whole; total. See General.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

(universals) 1. Something that is universal relates to everyone in the world or everyone in a particular group or society. The insurance industry has produced its own proposals for universal health care... The desire to look attractive is universal. ADJ: usu ADJ n • universality I have been amazed at the universality of all of our experiences, whatever our origins, sex or age. N-UNCOUNT: oft N of n 2. Something that is universal affects or relates to every part of the world or the universe. ...universal diseases. ADJ 3. A universal is a principle that applies in all cases or a characteristic that is present in all members of a particular class. There are no economic universals. N-COUNT

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

I. a. 1. Unlimited, all-reaching, catholic, general, without exception. 2. Total, whole, entire. 3. All, comprising all particulars. 4. Ecumenical, general. II. n. (Log.) 1. General notion or conception, concept, notion, idea (in the Platonic sense). 2. Universal proposition.

Moby Thesaurus

Berkeleianism, Geistesgeschichte, Hegelian idea, Hegelianism, Kantian idea, Kantianism, Neoplatonism, Platonic form, Platonic idea, Platonism, absolute, absolute idealism, accustomed, across-the-board, aggregate, all, all-comprehending, all-comprehensive, all-covering, all-embracing, all-encompassing, all-filling, all-including, all-inclusive, all-out, all-pervading, allover, animatism, animism, archetype, average, blanket, born, boundless, broad, broad-based, catholic, clean, clear, common, commonplace, compendious, complete, complex idea, comprehensive, congenital, consummate, conventional, cosmic, cosmogonal, cosmogonic, cosmologic, cosmopolitan, countless, country-wide, current, customary, deep-dyed, downright, dyed-in-the-wool, ecumenic, ecumenical, egregious, encyclopedic, endless, entire, epidemic, eternal, eternal object, eternal universal, everyday, exemplar, exhaustive, exhaustless, extending everywhere, extensive, familiar, form, formal cause, galactic, general, generic, global, gross, habitual, heaven-wide, highest category, history of ideas, holistic, household, hylozoism, ideal, idealism, ideate, ideatum, idee-force, illimitable, illimited, immaterialism, immeasurable, immense, incalculable, inclusive, incomprehensible, inexhaustible, infinite, infinitely continuous, innate idea, innumerable, integral, integrated, intensive, interminable, interminate, international, limitless, measureless, metaphysical idealism, model, monistic idealism, national, no end of, nondenominational, nonsectarian, noosphere, normative, noumenon, omnibus, omnipresent, one, one and indivisible, ordinary, out-and-out, outright, over-all, pandemic, panoramic, panpsychism, pattern, percept, perfect, perpetual, personalism, pervasive, plain, planetary, plumb, popular, predominating, prescriptive, prevailing, prevalent, prototype, psychism, pure, radical, regular, regulation, regulative first principle, sheer, shoreless, simple idea, solipsism, spiritualism, standard, stock, straight, subjectivism, subsistent form, sumless, sweeping, synoptic, termless, the Absolute, the Absolute Idea, the Self-determined, the realized ideal, thorough, thoroughgoing, through-and-through, total, transcendent idea, transcendent nonempirical concept, transcendent universal, transcendental, ubiquitous, unbounded, uncircumscribed, unconditional, unfathomable, universal concept, universal essence, unlimited, unmeasurable, unmeasured, unmitigated, unnumbered, unplumbed, unqualified, unreserved, unrestricted, untold, usual, utter, veritable, vernacular, whole, wholesale, wide-ranging, widespread, without bound, without end, without exception, without limit, without measure, without number, without omission, wonted, world-wide, worldwide