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Universal vs Descriptive - What's the difference?

universal | descriptive |

As adjectives the difference between universal and descriptive

is that universal is of or pertaining to the universe while descriptive is of or relating to description.

As nouns the difference between universal and descriptive

is that universal is (philosophy) a characteristic or property that particular things have in common while descriptive is (grammar) an adjective (or other descriptive word).

universal

English

Adjective

(en adjective)
  • Of or pertaining to the universe.
  • Common to all members of a group or class.
  • *
  • *
  • Common to all society; world-wide
    • She achieved universal fame.
  • Cosmic; unlimited; vast; infinite
  • Useful for many purposes, e.g., universal wrench .

    • Derived terms

    * universalise, universalize * universal quantifier

    Related terms

    * universe * university

    Antonyms

    * nonuniversal

    See also

    * (wikipedia "universal") * general * global

    External links

    * *

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • (philosophy) A characteristic or property that particular things have in common.
  • *
  • * {{quote-book, year=1970, title=Speech acts, author=John R. Searle
    • , passage=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". citation

    See also

    * particular

    External links

    * * The Medieval Problem of Universals - Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy ----

    descriptive

    English

    Adjective

    (en adjective)
  • Of or relating to description.
  • (grammar) Of an adjective, stating an attribute of the associated noun (as heavy'' in ''the heavy dictionary ).
  • (linguistics)   Describing the structure, grammar, vocabulary and actual use of a language.
  • (science, philosophy) Describing and seeking to classify, as opposed to normative or prescriptive.
  • * {{quote-magazine, year=2012, month=March-April
    • , author=John T. Jost , title=Social Justice: Is It in Our Nature (and Our Future)? , volume=100, issue=2, page=162 , magazine=(American Scientist) citation , passage=He draws eclectically on studies of baboons, descriptive anthropological accounts of hunter-gatherer societies and, in a few cases, the fossil record.}}

    Antonyms

    * (science) prescriptive, normative, non-descriptive

    Related terms

    * describe

    Derived terms

    * descriptively * descriptiveness * descriptive ethics * descriptive geometry * descriptive statistics

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • (grammar) An adjective (or other descriptive word)

    • See also

    * (projectlink) * (projectlink) ----