Definition, Meaning & Synonyms

overgeneralization

noun

/ˌoʊvərˌdʒɛn.ə.rəl.ɪˈzeɪ.ʃən/

Definition

The act of making broad conclusions based on limited evidence or examples.

Examples

Many students struggle with the concept of overgeneralization, often thinking that one failure means they’ll always fail.
In his argument, he fell into overgeneralization by claiming that all teenagers are irresponsible based on a few bad examples.

Meaning

Overgeneralization occurs when someone applies a specific observation to a wider context without sufficient justification, often leading to inaccurate assumptions.