generic entities

[dʒə'nɛrɪk 'ɛntɪtiz]
nounpl: generic entities
entidades genéricas
1. Classes or categories of things that share common characteristics without referring to specific individual instances
In linguistics, 'dogs' and 'cats' are generic entities referring to entire classes of animals
Em linguística, 'cães' e 'gatos' são entidades genéricas que se referem a classes inteiras de animais
2. In databases and programming, abstract representations of objects or concepts that contain general properties applicable to multiple specific instances
The database uses generic entities to store information about vehicles without specifying whether they are cars, trucks, or motorcycles
O banco de dados usa entidades genéricas para armazenar informações sobre veículos sem especificar se são carros, caminhões ou motocicletas
3. In ontology and knowledge representation, basic conceptual units that represent general categories rather than particular individuals
Generic entities in the knowledge base include concepts like 'person', 'location', and 'event'
As entidades genéricas na base de conhecimento incluem conceitos como 'pessoa', 'local' e 'evento'
This term is predominantly used in academic, technical, and scientific discourse in both Brazil and the United States. It appears frequently in computer science, linguistics, philosophy, and database management literature. The concept is important in formal knowledge representation and artificial intelligence research, where distinguishing between generic categories and specific instances is fundamental to system design.
Synonyms / Sinônimos
generic classesabstract entitiesconceptual categoriesgeneral categoriescommon nouns
Antonyms / Antônimos
specific entitiesparticular instancesindividual entitiesconcrete entitiesproper nouns

Regional Variations

General Brazilian Portuguese
entidades genéricas
Standard term used in academic and technical contexts
Portugal
entidades genéricas
Same usage as Brazilian Portuguese in technical and linguistic contexts
Technical/Academic (Brazil and Portugal)
classes genéricas
Alternative term emphasizing the class-like nature of these entities
Informal (Brazil)
tipos genéricos
More colloquial way of referring to generic categories

Related Words

taxonomyclassificationontologysemanticsinstantiationabstraction

Related Idioms & Phrases

generic term for a group
cast a wide net with generic categories
speak in generic terms
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