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Generic vs Organic - What's the difference?

generic | organic |

As adjectives the difference between generic and organic

is that generic is very comprehensive; pertaining or appropriate to large classes or groups as opposed to specific while organic is (biology) pertaining to or derived from living organisms.

As nouns the difference between generic and organic

is that generic is a product sold under a generic name while organic is (chemistry) an organic compound.

generic

Alternative forms

* generick

Adjective

(en adjective)
  • Very comprehensive; pertaining or appropriate to large classes or groups as opposed to specific.
  • :* "...the essence is that such self-describing poets describe what is in them, but not peculiar to them, – what is generic , not what is special and individual." — Walter Bagehot (1826–1877)
  • Lacking in precision, often in an evasive fashion; vague; imprecise.
  • (of a product or drug) Not having a brand name.
  • (biology, not comparable) Of or relating to a taxonomic genus.
  • (grammar) Specifying neither masculine nor feminine; epicene.
  • Words like salesperson and firefighter are generic .
  • (computing) (Of program code) Written so as to operate on any data type, the type required being passed as a parameter.
  • (geometry, of a point) Having coordinates that are algebraically independent over the base field.
  • Synonyms

    * (comprehensive) general * (lacking a brand) unbranded

    Antonyms

    * (comprehensive) specific, proprietary * (lacking a brand) non-generic, proprietary, branded

    Derived terms

    * genericity * genericness

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • A product sold under a generic name
  • A wine that is a blend of several wines, or made from a blend of several grape varieties
  • (grammar) A term that specifies neither male nor female.
  • * 1998 , Jacqueline A. Dienemann, Nursing administration: managing patient care
  • organic

    Alternative forms

    * organick (obsolete)

    Adjective

    (en adjective)
  • (biology) pertaining to or derived from living organisms.
  • pertaining to an organ of the body of a living organism.
  • (chemistry) relating to the compounds of carbon, relating to natural products
  • of food or food products, grown in an environment free from artificial agrichemicals, and possibly certified by a regulatory body.
  • (sociology) describing a form of social solidarity theorized by Emile Durkheim that is characterized by voluntary engagements in complex interdepencies for mutual benefit (such as business agreements), rather than mechanical solidarity, which depends on ascribed relations between people (as in a family or tribe).
  • (military) Of a military unit or formation, or its elements, belonging to a permanent organization (in contrast to being temporarily attached).
  • * 1998 : Eyal Ben-Ari, Mastering Soldiers: Conflict, Emotions, and the Enemy in an Israeli Military Unit . Beghahn Books, p 29.
  • ''Socially, the term “organic ” unit implies a military force characterized by relatively high cohesion, overlapping primary groups and a certain sense of shared past.
  • * 1945 : U.S. War Department, Handbook on German Military Forces . LSU Press (1990). p 161.
  • Most types of German field divisions include an organic reconnaissance battalion, and the remainder have strong reconnaissance companies.
  • Instrumental; acting as instruments of nature or of art to a certain destined function or end.
  • * Milton
  • those organic arts which enable men to discourse and write perspicuously
  • (Internet, of search results) Generated according to the ranking algorithms of a search engine, as opposed to paid placement by advertisers.
  • * 2008 , Michael Masterson, MaryEllen Tribby, Changing the Channel: 12 Easy Ways to Make Millions for Your Business
  • According to a recent survey by Jupiter Research, 80 percent of Web users get information from organic search results.

    Coordinate terms

    * (chemistry) inorganic

    Derived terms

    * organic agriculture * organic chemistry * organic forestry * organic intellectual * organicness

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • (chemistry) An organic compound
  • See also

    * inorganic