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Thorough vs Universal - What's the difference?

thorough | universal |

As adjectives the difference between thorough and universal

is that thorough is painstaking and careful not to miss or omit any detail while universal is of or pertaining to the universe.

As nouns the difference between thorough and universal

is that thorough is (uk|dialect) a furrow between two ridges, to drain off the surface water while universal is (philosophy) a characteristic or property that particular things have in common.

As a preposition thorough

is (obsolete) through.

thorough

English

Etymology 1

(etyl) .

Alternative forms

* thoro

Adjective

(en adjective)
  • painstaking and careful not to miss or omit any detail
    • The Prime Minister announced a thorough investigation into the death of a father of two in police custody.
    He is the most thorough worker I have ever seen.
    The infested house needs a thorough cleansing before it will be inhabitable.
  • utter; complete; absolute
    • It is a thorough pleasure to see him beg for mercy.
    Derived terms
    * thoroughbred * thoroughgoing * thoroughly

    Etymology 2

    A disyllabic form of (etyl) .

    Preposition

    (English prepositions)
  • (obsolete) Through.
  • * , II.xii:
    • Ye might haue seene the frothy billowes fry / Vnder the ship, as thorough them she went [...].
  • * 1599 , , V. i. 109:
    • You are contented to be led in triumph / Thorough the streets of Rome?

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • (UK, dialect) A furrow between two ridges, to drain off the surface water.
    • (Halliwell)

    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 ----