Generalization

Concept A is a generalization of concept B if and only if:

• every instance of concept B is also an instance of concept A; and
• there are instances of concept A which are not instances of concept B.

Equivalently, A is a generalization of B iff B is a specialization of A.

For instance, 'Animal' is a generalization of 'Bird' because every bird is an animal, and there are animals which are not birds (humans, for instance).

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The term "generalization" has a meaning in logic; where does the above come from? --LMS

• This comes from mathematics. Reading the article for definition, I guess this perhaps should really be called genus. What is the meaning of the term "generalization" in logic? --Seb

All generalizations are false ;) --Magnus Manske