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universal

 - 5 dictionary results
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u⋅ni⋅ver⋅sal

  [yoo-nuh-vur-suhl]
Use universal in a Sentence
–adjective
1. of, pertaining to, or characteristic of all or the whole: universal experience.
2. applicable everywhere or in all cases; general: a universal cure.
3. affecting, concerning, or involving all: universal military service.
4. used or understood by all: a universal language.
5. present everywhere: the universal calm of southern seas.
6. versed in or embracing many or all skills, branches of learning, etc.: Leonardo da Vinci was a universal genius.
7. of or pertaining to the universe, all nature, or all existing things: universal cause.
8. characterizing all or most members of a class; generic.
9. Logic. (of a proposition) asserted of every member of a class.
10. Linguistics. found in all languages or belonging to the human language faculty.
11. Machinery. noting any of various machines, tools, or devices widely adaptable in position, range of use, etc.
12. Metalworking.
a. (of metal plates and shapes) rolled in a universal mill.
b. (of a rolling mill or rolling method) having or employing vertical edging rolls.
–noun
13. something that may be applied throughout the universe to many things, usually thought of as an entity that can be in many places at the same time.
14. a trait, characteristic, or property, as distinguished from a particular individual or event, that can be possessed in common, as the care of a mother for her young.
15. Logic. a universal proposition.
16. Philosophy.
a. a general term or concept or the generic nature that such a term signifies; a Platonic idea or Aristotelian form.
b. an entity that remains unchanged in character in a series of changes or changing relations.
c. Hegelianism. concrete universal.
17. language universal.
18. Machinery. universal joint.
Origin:
1325–75; ME universel (adj.) < MF < L ūniversālis. See universe, -al 1

Related forms:
u⋅ni⋅ver⋅sal⋅ness, noun

Synonyms:
5. See general.
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universal joint

 
–noun Machinery.
a coupling between rotating shafts set at an angle to one another, allowing for rotation in three planes.
Also called universal, universal coupling.

Origin:
1670–80
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To universal
u·ni·ver·sal   (yōō'nə-vûr'səl)   
adj.  

  1. Of, relating to, extending to, or affecting the entire world or all within the world; worldwide: "This discovery of literature has as yet only partially penetrated the universal consciousness" (Ellen Key).

  2. Including, relating to, or affecting all members of the class or group under consideration: the universal skepticism of philosophers. See Synonyms at general.

  3. Applicable or common to all purposes, conditions, or situations: a universal remedy.

  4. Of or relating to the universe or cosmos; cosmic.

  5. Knowledgeable about or constituting all or many subjects; comprehensively broad.

  6. Adapted or adjustable to many sizes or mechanical uses.

  7. Logic Encompassing all of the members of a class or group. Used of a proposition.

n.  

  1. Logic

    1. A universal proposition.

    2. A general or abstract concept or term considered absolute or axiomatic.

  2. A general or widely held principle, concept, or notion.

  3. A trait or pattern of behavior characteristic of all the members of a particular culture or of all humans.

u'ni·ver'sal·ly adv., u'ni·ver'sal·ness n.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Word Origin & History

universal 
c.1374, from O.Fr. universel (12c.), from L. universalis "of or belonging to all," from universus "all together, whole, entire" (see universe). In mechanics, a universal joint (1676) is one which allows free movement in any direction; in theology universalism (1805) is the doctrine of universal salvation (universalist in this sense is attested from 1626). Universal product code is recorded from 1974.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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Legal Dictionary

Main Entry: uni·ver·sal
Pronunciation: "yü-n&-'v&r-s&l
Function: adjective
1 in the civil law of Louisiana a : encompassing or burdening all of one's property esp. causa mortis universal usufruct> —see also universal legacy at LEGACY —compare universal title at TITLE b : of or relating to a universal conveyance or a conveyance under a universal title universal donee> —see also UNIVERSAL SUCCESSOR
2 : not confined by limitations or exceptions : general in application —uni·ver·sal·ly adverb
Merriam-Webster's Dictionary of Law, © 1996 Merriam-Webster, Inc.
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