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universal

Universal describes something for everything or everyone. Universal design is architectural design that accommodates every person. A universal remote can change the stations on all your home entertainment systems, but hopefully not at once.

The uni in universal means "one" so this word is all about "one for all and all for one." If it's universal, it applies to all cases. Like the universe itself, a universal emotion is one that every human can understand or relate to. The desire for your children to be safe and happy is universal. If you are to make a universal change in a document it means that every time the specified word appears, it should be fixed.

PRIMARY MEANINGS OF: universal

1
 adjn
applicable to or common to all members of a group or set
a behavioral convention or pattern characteristic of all members of a particular culture or of all human beings
2
 n
coupling that connects two rotating shafts allowing freedom of movement in all directions
FULL DEFINITIONS OF: universal
1

adj 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”
Synonyms
general
applying to all or most members of a category or group

adj adapted to various purposes, sizes, forms, operations

“"universal wrench", "universal chuck”
“universal screwdriver”
Synonyms
adaptable
capable of adapting (of becoming or being made suitable) to a particular situation or use

adj of worldwide scope or applicability

“universal experience”
Synonyms:
cosmopolitan, ecumenical, general, oecumenical, world-wide, worldwide
comprehensive
including all or everything

n 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”
Type of:
convention, formula, normal, pattern, rule
something regarded as a normative example

n (logic) a proposition that asserts something of all members of a class

Synonyms:
universal proposition
Antonyms:
particular, particular proposition
(logic) a proposition that asserts something about some (but not all) members of a class
Type of:
proposition
(logic) a statement that affirms or denies something and is either true or false

n (linguistics) a grammatical rule (or other linguistic feature) that is found in all languages

Synonyms:
linguistic universal
Type of:
linguistic rule, rule
(linguistics) a rule describing (or prescribing) a linguistic practice
2

n 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”
Synonyms:
universal joint
Type of:
coupler, coupling
a mechanical device that serves to connect the ends of adjacent objects
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