<p>LOL, check your dictionary abbreviations chart. :rolleyes:</p>
<p>Here's what Dictionary.com says (omitting the gobbledegook concerning psychology):</p>
<p>gen‧er‧al‧i‧za‧tion
noun
1. the act or process of generalizing.
2. a result of this process; a general statement, idea, or principle.
3. Logic.
a. a proposition asserting something to be true either of all members of a certain class or of an indefinite part of that class.
b. the process of obtaining such propositions.</p>
<p>Now, I'm not sure why the italicized word "logic" above your definition didn't ring some bells, but hey, not my business. "Logic", as used like that in dictionaries (standard form), is referring to use of a word in mathematics. Dunno 'bout you, but I don't think the passage was about algorithms and equations. ;)</p>
<p>Also, note that all other definitions given are basically the same, and most of them from more authoritative sources than Random House (creators of Dictionary.com), such as American Heritage; none of them even include the logic or psychology definitions at all. I'd think that CB would be more likely to rely on them, long-esteemed dictionaries, than on Random House.</p>
<p>Also, Merriam-Webster, the most definitive dictionary out there (excuse the pun), says the following of the word:</p>
<p>Main Entry: gen·er·al·i·za·tion
Function: noun
1 : the act or process of generalizing
2 : a general statement, law, principle, or proposition
3 : the act or process whereby a learned response is made to a stimulus similar to but not identical with the conditioned stimulus</p>
<p>Hmm... What I said in the previous post concerning the manner in which "we" was used calls definition 2 into question, and 3 is definitely not it. So, what can we say of 1?</p>
<p>Of generalizing:</p>
<p>Main Entry: gen·er·al·ize
Function: verb
Inflected Form(s): -ized; -iz·ing
transitive verb
1 : to give a general form to
2 a : to derive or induce (a general conception or principle) from particulars b : to draw a general conclusion from
3 : to give general applicability to <generalize a="" law="">; also : to make indefinite
intransitive verb
1 : to form generalizations; also : to make vague or indefinite statements
2 : to spread or extend throughout the body</generalize></p>
<p>Of the transitive verb definitions, 1 doesn't make sense - author was not trying to give a general form (what does that mean in context, anyway?), 2 is basically the mathematics definition from earlier, worded in a fashion more blatantly related to math (probably because it doesn't have the logic tag), and 3 is out, since it was neither a law (see earlier post) nor did it make some principle indefinite.</p>
<p>Of the intransitive verb definitions, 1 is out for the same reasons as definition 3 under transitive, and definition 2 is definitely wrong.</p>
<p>Am I over-analyzing? Heck yeah. :D</p>
<p>However, who knows what CB is up to? They might be using a more generalized (definition 3 transitive) definition of "generalization"...</p>
<p>I HATE YOU, CB! :mad:</p>