universal

English

English Wikipedia has an article on:

universal

Etymology

From Middle English universal, from Old French universal (modern French universel), from Latin ūniversālis, equivalent to universe +‎ -al.

Pronunciation

(Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˌjuːnɪˈvɜːsl̩/
(General American) IPA^(key): /ˌjunəˈvɜɹs(ə)l/
Audio (General American): (file)
Rhymes: -ɜː(ɹ)səl
Hyphenation: uni‧vers‧al

Adjective

universal (comparative more universal, superlative most universal)

Of or pertaining to the universe.
Common to all members of a group or class.
- 1911, 1911 Encyclopædia Britannica:
  In Logic, the letter A is used as a symbol for the universal affirmative proposition in the general form "all x is y."
- 1922, Henry Ford, Samuel Crowther, chapter 4, in My Life and Work, Garden City, New York: Garden City Publishing Company, Inc., →OCLC:
  I had been planning every day through these years toward a universal car.
- 1955 January, Charles E. Lee, “The Glasgow Underground Railway”, in Railway Magazine, page 24:
  Eventually, the railway opened on Monday, December 14, 1896, with a universal fare of 1d. collected at the turnstiles, and conditions were immediately chaotic, as many passengers travelled round and round, and refused to leave the cars.
- 2022 January 30, Steve Slevinski, “Formal SignWriting”, in IETF‎^[1], archived from the original on 30 April 2024:
  Sutton SignWriting is the universal and complete solution for written sign language, ISO 15924 script code "Sgnw".
Common to all society; worldwide, global.
She achieved universal fame.
- a. 1701 (date written), John Dryden, “The Life of John Dryden, Esq.”, in The Miscellaneous Works of John Dryden, […], volume I, London: […] J[acob] and R[ichard] Tonson, […], published 1760, →OCLC, page xiii:
  [John] Dryden's univerſal genius, his firmly eſtablished reputation, and the glory his memory muſt always reflect upon the nation that gave him birth, make us ardently wiſh for a more accurate life of him than any which has hitherto appeared: […]
- 2026 August, Shea Alexander, “Basic Relief Carving Techniques”, in Popular Woodworking, volume 290, number 4, page 27:
  First there is no universal sizing system for carving tools. Seemingly every brand and country of manufacture uses a different system.
Unlimited; vast; infinite.
- 1983, Wendy Griswold, “The Devil's Techniques: Cultural Legitimation and Social Change”, in American Sociological Review‎^[2], volume 48, number 5, page 670a of 668–680:
  Playwrights have recognized the usefulness of this archetype and used him in many dramatic contexts, for the Trickster's freedom from determination gives him a universal fascination.
Useful for many purposes; all-purpose.
universal wrench

Synonyms

(common to all members of a group or class): general; see also Thesaurus:generic
(unlimited): see also Thesaurus:infinite
(useful for many purposes): general-purpose, multi-purpose

Antonyms

nonuniversal

Derived terms

Related terms

Translations

of or pertaining to the universe

Bulgarian: вселенски (vselenski), всеми́рен (bg) (vsemíren)
Catalan: universal (ca)
Chinese:
Mandarin: 宇宙的 (yǔzhòu de)
Esperanto: universa
Finnish: yleismaailmallinen (fi), universaali (fi), kosminen (fi)
French: universel (fr)
Galician: universal (gl)
Greek: παγκόσμιος (el) (pagkósmios)
Ido: universala (io)
Indonesian: universal (id)
Japanese: 宇宙の (uchū no)
Korean: 우주(宇宙)의 (uju-ui), 우주적(宇宙的) (ujujeok)
Kurdish:
Central Kurdish: گەردوونی (gerdûnî)
Malayalam: ലോക (ml) (lōka), വിശ്വ (ml) (viśva)
Occitan: universal (oc)
Persian: جهانی (fa)
Polish: kosmiczny (pl)
Portuguese: universal (pt)
Russian: вселе́нский (ru) (vselénskij), косми́ческий (ru) (kosmíčeskij)
Slovene: vesoljski
Spanish: universal (es)
Swedish: universell (sv)
Tagalog: sansinukbin
Thai: จักรวาล (th) (jàk-grà-waan)

common to all members of a group or class

Armenian: համամարդկային (hy) (hamamardkayin)
Belarusian: агу́льны (be) (ahúlʹny)
Bulgarian: универсален (bg) (universalen)
Catalan: universal (ca)
Chinese:
Mandarin: 普遍 (zh) (pǔbiàn), 全體的 / 全体的 (quántǐ de)
Dutch: algemeen (nl)
Finnish: yleinen (fi), yleis-; yleispätevä
French: universel (fr)
German: allgemein (de), Allgemein-, universell (de)
Greek: παγκόσμιος (el) (pagkósmios)
Ancient Greek: καθολικός (katholikós), οἰκουμενῐκός (oikoumenĭkós)
Irish: comhchoiteann
Japanese: 普遍的 (ja) (fuhen-teki)
Korean: 보편적(普遍的) (ko) (bopyeonjeok)
Latin: ūniversālis
Polish: ogólny (pl), powszechny (pl), uniwersalny (pl)
Portuguese: universal (pt)
Russian: всео́бщий (ru) (vseóbščij)
Slovene: univerzalen
Spanish: universal (es)
Thai: สากล (th) (sǎa-gon)
Turkish: evrensel (tr)

common to all society, world-wide

Armenian: համամարդկային (hy) (hamamardkayin), համընդհանուր (hy) (haməndhanur)
Belarusian: агу́льны (be) (ahúlʹny)
Bulgarian: всео́бщ (bg) (vseóbšt)
Chinese:
Mandarin: 全世界的 (quánshìjiè de)
Dutch: universeel (nl), wereldwijd (nl)
Esperanto: universala
Finnish: maailmanlaajuinen (fi)
French: universel (fr)
Galician: universal (gl)
German: weltweit (de), Welt-, universell (de)
Greek: παγκόσμιος (el) (pagkósmios)
Ancient Greek: καθολικός (katholikós), οἰκουμενῐκός (oikoumenĭkós)
Haitian Creole: inivèsèl
Hebrew: עולמי
Icelandic: algildur
Irish: uilechoiteann
Japanese: 世界的 (ja) (sekai teki)
Korean: 세계적(世界的) (ko) (segyejeok), 전세계적(全世界的) (jeonsegyejeok), 전지구적(全地球的) (jeonjigujeok)
Latin: ūniversālis
Malay: sejagat, universal
Portuguese: universal (pt)
Russian: всео́бщий (ru) (vseóbščij), глоба́льный (ru) (globálʹnyj), всесторо́нний (ru) (vsestorónnij), всеми́рный (ru) (vsemírnyj), общечелове́ческий (ru) (obščečelovéčeskij)
Slovak: všeľudský
Slovene: univerzalen
Spanish: universal (es)
Swedish: universell (sv)
Thai: สากล (th) (sǎa-gon)
Turkish: evrensel (tr)
Yiddish: אַלוועלטלעך (alveltlekh)

cosmic, unlimited

Bulgarian: космически (bg) (kosmičeski)
Chinese:
Mandarin: 無限 / 无限 (zh) (wúxiàn), 無窮 / 无穷 (zh) (wúqióng)
Finnish: rajaton (fi), ääretön (fi)
German: kosmisch (de)
Japanese: 無限 (ja) (mugen)
Korean: 무한(無限)한 (muhan-han)
Portuguese: universal (pt)
Russian: вселе́нский (ru) (vselénskij), косми́ческий (ru) (kosmíčeskij)
Spanish: universal (es)
Thai: ครอบจักรวาล

useful for many purposes

Bulgarian: универсален (bg) (universalen)
Chinese:
Mandarin: 萬用 / 万用 (zh) (wànyòng), 萬能 / 万能 (zh) (wànnéng)
Czech: všestranný (cs), univerzální (cs)
Dutch: universeel (nl)
Finnish: yleis-, yleiskäyttöinen (fi)
German: universell (de), Universal-, All-
Greek: παγκόσμιος (el) (pagkósmios)
Hungarian: univerzális (hu)
Icelandic: alhliða
Japanese: 万能 (ja) (bannō)
Korean: 범용(汎用) (ko) (beomyong)
Polish: uniwersalny (pl)
Portuguese: universal (pt)
Russian: универса́льный (ru) (universálʹnyj), всесторо́нний (ru) (vsestorónnij)
Slovene: univerzalen
Spanish: universal (es)
Swedish: omfattande (sv)
Thai: อเนกประสงค์ (à-nêek-bprà-sǒng)
Turkish: evrensel (tr), çok amaçlı
Ukrainian: універса́льний (universálʹnyj)

The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.

Translations to be checked

Arabic: ^{(please verify)} عَالَمِيّ (ʕālamiyy)
Esperanto: ^{(please verify)} universala
French: ^{(please verify)} universel (fr)
German: ^{(please verify)} allgemein (de), ^{(please verify)} Universal-, ^{(please verify)} universell (de)
Hungarian: ^{(please verify)} egyetemes (hu)
Ido: ^{(please verify)} universala (io)
Italian: ^{(please verify)} universale (it)
Japanese: ^{(please verify)} 全世界の (ぜんせかいの, zensekai no)
Latin: ^{(please verify)} universalis
Spanish: ^{(please verify)} universal (es)
Swedish: ^{(please verify)} universell (sv) (2), ^{(please verify)} universal- (sv) (3)

Noun

universal (plural universals)

(philosophy) A characteristic or property that particular things have in common.
- 1912, Bertrand Russel, The Problems of Philosophy, Chapter 9:
  When we examine common words, we find that, broadly speaking, proper names stand for particulars, while other substantives, adjectives, prepositions, and verbs stand for universals.
- 1970, John R. Searle, Speech acts‎^[3]:
  We might also distinguish those expressions which are used to refer to individuals or particulars from those which are used to refer to what philosophers have called universals: e.g., to distinguish such expressions as "Everest" and "this chair" from "the number three", "the color red" and "drunkenness".
- 2021, Meghan O'Gieblyn, chapter 11, in God, Human, Animal, Machine […] , →ISBN:
  Empiricism was similarly a response to this loss of universals—a radically contingent world with no underlying order must constantly be studied and tested—and made God himself unnecessary: divine spirit and human spirit were alien enough to each other that they could function without taking each other into account.

Translations

A property that particular things have in common.

Arabic: كُلِّيَّة f (kulliyya)
Finnish: universaali (fi), yleiskäsite
German: Universalie (de) f
Russian: всео́бщее n (vseóbščeje)

Catalan

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin ūniversālis. First attested in c. 1400.^[1]

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): (Northern, Central) [u.ni.βərˈsal]
IPA^(key): (Balearic) [u.ni.vərˈsal]
IPA^(key): (Valencia) [u.ni.veɾˈsal]
IPA^(key): (Northwestern) [u.ni.βerˈsal]
Audio (Barcelona): (file)
IPA^(key): (Northern, Central) [u.ni.βərˈzal]
IPA^(key): (Balearic) [u.ni.vərˈzal]
IPA^(key): (Valencia) [u.ni.veɾˈzal]
IPA^(key): (Northwestern) [u.ni.βerˈzal]

Adjective

universal m or f (masculine and feminine plural universals)

universal

Derived terms

Related terms

References

^ “universal”, in Gran Diccionari de la Llengua Catalana, Grup Enciclopèdia Catalana, 2026

Crimean Tatar

Adjective

universal

universal

References

“universal”, in Luğatçıq (in Russian)

Danish

Adjective

universal

alternative spelling of universel

Inflection

Inflection of *universal*
	positive	comparative	superlative
indefinite common singular	universal	—	—²
indefinite neuter singular	universalt	—	—²
plural	universale	—	—²
definite attributive¹	universale	—	—

¹ When an adjective is applied predicatively to something definite,
the corresponding "indefinite" form is used.
² The "indefinite" superlatives may not be used attributively.

References

“universal” in Den Danske Ordbog

Galician

Etymology

From Latin ūniversālis.

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /unibeɾˈsal/ [u.ni.β̞eɾˈs̺ɑɫ]
Rhymes: -al
Hyphenation: u‧ni‧ver‧sal

Adjective

universal m or f (plural universais)

of or pertaining to the universe
world-wide, universal, common to all cultures
Synonym: mundial

Derived terms

universalmente

Related terms

German

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin ūniversālis.

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /univɛʁˈzaːl/
Rhymes: -aːl
Audio (Germany (Berlin)): (file)

Adjective

universal (strong nominative masculine singular universaler, comparative universaler, superlative am universalsten)

universal

Declension

Positive forms of universal

number & gender	singular	plural
masculine	feminine	neuter
predicative	er ist universal	sie ist universal	es ist universal	sie sind universal
strong declension (without article)	nominative	universaler	universale	universales	universale
genitive	universalen	universaler	universalen	universaler
dative	universalem	universaler	universalem	universalen
accusative	universalen	universale	universales	universale
weak declension (with definite article)	nominative	der universale	die universale	das universale	die universalen
genitive	des universalen	der universalen	des universalen	der universalen
dative	dem universalen	der universalen	dem universalen	den universalen
accusative	den universalen	die universale	das universale	die universalen
mixed declension (with indefinite article)	nominative	ein universaler	eine universale	ein universales	(keine) universalen
genitive	eines universalen	einer universalen	eines universalen	(keiner) universalen
dative	einem universalen	einer universalen	einem universalen	(keinen) universalen
accusative	einen universalen	eine universale	ein universales	(keine) universalen

Comparative forms of universal

number & gender	singular	plural
masculine	feminine	neuter
predicative	er ist universaler	sie ist universaler	es ist universaler	sie sind universaler
strong declension (without article)	nominative	universalerer	universalere	universaleres	universalere
genitive	universaleren	universalerer	universaleren	universalerer
dative	universalerem	universalerer	universalerem	universaleren
accusative	universaleren	universalere	universaleres	universalere
weak declension (with definite article)	nominative	der universalere	die universalere	das universalere	die universaleren
genitive	des universaleren	der universaleren	des universaleren	der universaleren
dative	dem universaleren	der universaleren	dem universaleren	den universaleren
accusative	den universaleren	die universalere	das universalere	die universaleren
mixed declension (with indefinite article)	nominative	ein universalerer	eine universalere	ein universaleres	(keine) universaleren
genitive	eines universaleren	einer universaleren	eines universaleren	(keiner) universaleren
dative	einem universaleren	einer universaleren	einem universaleren	(keinen) universaleren
accusative	einen universaleren	eine universalere	ein universaleres	(keine) universaleren

Superlative forms of universal

number & gender	singular	plural
masculine	feminine	neuter
predicative	er ist am universalsten	sie ist am universalsten	es ist am universalsten	sie sind am universalsten
strong declension (without article)	nominative	universalster	universalste	universalstes	universalste
genitive	universalsten	universalster	universalsten	universalster
dative	universalstem	universalster	universalstem	universalsten
accusative	universalsten	universalste	universalstes	universalste
weak declension (with definite article)	nominative	der universalste	die universalste	das universalste	die universalsten
genitive	des universalsten	der universalsten	des universalsten	der universalsten
dative	dem universalsten	der universalsten	dem universalsten	den universalsten
accusative	den universalsten	die universalste	das universalste	die universalsten
mixed declension (with indefinite article)	nominative	ein universalster	eine universalste	ein universalstes	(keine) universalsten
genitive	eines universalsten	einer universalsten	eines universalsten	(keiner) universalsten
dative	einem universalsten	einer universalsten	einem universalsten	(keinen) universalsten
accusative	einen universalsten	eine universalste	ein universalstes	(keine) universalsten

Indonesian

Indonesian Wikipedia has an article on:

universal

Wikipedia ^id

Etymology

Internationalism, from Latin ūniversālis.

Pronunciation

(Standard Indonesian) IPA^(key): /univərˈsal/ [u.ni.fərˈsal]
Rhymes: -al
Syllabification: u‧ni‧ver‧sal

Adjective

universal (comparative lebih universal, superlative paling universal)

universal:
1. of or pertaining to the universe
2. common to all members of a group or class
  Synonym: umum
3. common to all society; worldwide
4. unlimited; vast; infinite
5. useful for many purposes; all-purpose

Noun

universal (plural universal-universal)

universal

Derived terms

Related terms

universum

Middle English

Alternative forms

universall, universalle, universel, universele, uniyversale, universell, unyversal

Etymology

Borrowed from Middle French universel, and its etymon Latin ūniversālis; equivalent to universe +‎ -al.

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /iu̯ˌnivɛrˈsal/, /iu̯ˈnivɛrsal/, (by analogy to universe) /iu̯niˈvɛrsal/

Adjective

universal (especially Late Middle English)

all-encompassing, subject to everything and everyone; having universal significance.
absolute, subject to everything in a given area or subject (e.g. a settlement; a person)
frequently practiced, usual, customary.
(rare) Given total leeway and control; with universal power.
(rare) unbiased, unprejudiced, nonpolitical
(rare) general, non-specific, generic
(philosophy, rare) unformed, uncreated, unmade.
(philosophy, rare) theoretical, abstract, general.

Derived terms

Descendants

English: universal

References

“ūniversā̆l, adj.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007, retrieved 31 April 2018.

Noun

universal

(Late Middle English, philosophy, rare) A category, class, or classification.

Descendants

English: universal

References

“ūniversā̆l, adj.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007, retrieved 31 April 2018.

Determiner

universal

(Late Middle English) The whole, all of, every portion of, all parts of.
(Late Middle English, rare) Every kind of; all sorts of

References

“ūniversā̆l, adj.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007, retrieved 31 April 2018.

Occitan

Etymology

From Latin ūniversālis.

Pronunciation

Audio (Languedoc): (file)

Adjective

universal m (feminine singular universala, masculine plural universals, feminine plural universalas)

universal

Derived terms

universalament

Related terms

Old French

Etymology

From Latin ūniversālis.

Adjective

universal m (oblique and nominative feminine singular universale)

universal

Descendants

French: universel
→ Middle English: universal, universall, universalle, universel, universele, uniyversale, universell, unyversal
- English: universal

Piedmontese

Alternative forms

üniversal

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /ynivɛrˈsal/

Adjective

universal

universal

Portuguese

Etymology

From Latin ūniversālis.

Pronunciation

(Brazil) IPA^(key): /u.ni.veʁˈsaw/ [u.ni.vehˈsaʊ̯]
- (São Paulo) IPA^(key): /u.ni.veɾˈsaw/ [u.ni.veɾˈsaʊ̯]
- (Rio de Janeiro) IPA^(key): /u.ni.veʁˈsaw/ [u.ni.veχˈsaʊ̯]
- (Caipira) IPA^(key): /u.ni.veɻˈsaw/ [u.ni.veɻˈsaʊ̯]

(Portugal) IPA^(key): /u.ni.vɨɾˈsal/ [u.ni.vɨɾˈsaɫ]
- (Northern Portugal) IPA^(key): /u.ni.bɨɾˈsal/ [u.ni.βɨɾˈsaɫ]
- (Southern Portugal) IPA^(key): /u.ni.vɨɾˈsa.li/

Hyphenation: u‧ni‧ver‧sal

Adjective

universal m or f (plural universais, comparable, comparative mais universal, superlative o mais universal or universalíssimo)

(relational) universe; universal
common to all society; universal; world-wide
common to all members of a group or class; universal
- 1999, Os pecados da língua: pequeno repertório de grandes erros de linguagem, Editora AGE Ltda., →ISBN, page 114:
  Símbolos
  ☞ Não se usa o ponto indicativo de abreviação: km, m l, kg.
  ☞ Têm formas iguais para singular e plural.
  ☞ São de uso universal e irrestrito.
  (please add an English translation of this quotation)

Derived terms

universalmente

Related terms

Romanian

Etymology

Borrowed from French universel, from Latin universalis. By surface analysis, univers +‎ -al.

Adjective

universal m or n (feminine singular universală, masculine plural universali, feminine/neuter plural universale)

universal

Declension

Declension of *universal*
	singular	plural
	masculine	neuter	feminine	masculine	neuter	feminine
nominative- accusative	indefinite	universal	universală	universali	universale
definite	universalul	universala	universalii	universalele
genitive- dative	indefinite	universal	universale	universali	universale
definite	universalului	universalei	universalilor	universalelor

Related terms

universalitate

Spanish

Etymology

From Latin ūniversālis.

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /unibeɾˈsal/ [u.ni.β̞eɾˈsal]
Rhymes: -al
Syllabification: u‧ni‧ver‧sal

Adjective

universal m or f (masculine and feminine plural universales)

universal

Derived terms

Related terms

Anagrams

vulneráis

[1] “universal”, in Gran Diccionari de la Llengua Catalana, Grup Enciclopèdia Catalana, 2026

[1]

English

Etymology

Pronunciation

Adjective

Synonyms

Antonyms

Derived terms

Related terms

Translations

See also

Noun

Translations

Further reading

Catalan

Etymology

Pronunciation

Adjective

Derived terms

Related terms

References

Further reading

Crimean Tatar

Adjective

References

Danish

Adjective

Inflection

References

Galician

Etymology

Pronunciation

Adjective

Derived terms

Related terms

Further reading

German

Etymology

Pronunciation

Adjective

Declension

Further reading

Indonesian

Etymology

Pronunciation

Adjective

Noun

Derived terms

Related terms

Further reading

Middle English

Alternative forms

Etymology

Pronunciation

Adjective

Derived terms

Descendants

References

Noun

Descendants

References

Determiner

References

Occitan

Etymology

Pronunciation

Adjective

Derived terms

Related terms

Old French

Etymology

Adjective

Descendants

Piedmontese

Alternative forms

Pronunciation

Adjective

Portuguese

Etymology

Pronunciation

Adjective