What's the difference between general and specific?

General


Definition:

  • (a.) Relating to a genus or kind; pertaining to a whole class or order; as, a general law of animal or vegetable economy.
  • (a.) Comprehending many species or individuals; not special or particular; including all particulars; as, a general inference or conclusion.
  • (a.) Not restrained or limited to a precise import; not specific; vague; indefinite; lax in signification; as, a loose and general expression.
  • (a.) Common to many, or the greatest number; widely spread; prevalent; extensive, though not universal; as, a general opinion; a general custom.
  • (a.) Having a relation to all; common to the whole; as, Adam, our general sire.
  • (a.) As a whole; in gross; for the most part.
  • (a.) Usual; common, on most occasions; as, his general habit or method.
  • (a.) The whole; the total; that which comprehends or relates to all, or the chief part; -- opposed to particular.
  • (a.) One of the chief military officers of a government or country; the commander of an army, of a body of men not less than a brigade. In European armies, the highest military rank next below field marshal.
  • (a.) The roll of the drum which calls the troops together; as, to beat the general.
  • (a.) The chief of an order of monks, or of all the houses or congregations under the same rule.
  • (a.) The public; the people; the vulgar.

Example Sentences:

  • (1) The generally accepted hypothesis is a coronary spasm but a direct cardiotoxicity of 5-FU cannot be.
  • (2) However, medicines have an important part to play, and it is now generally agreed that for the very poor populations medicines should be restricted to those on an 'essential drugs list' and should be made available as cheaply as possible.
  • (3) No differences between the two substances were observed with respect to side effects and general tolerability.
  • (4) It has been generally believed that the ligand-binding of steroid hormone receptors triggers an allosteric change in receptor structure, manifested by an increased affinity of the receptor for DNA in vitro and nuclear target elements in vivo, as monitored by nuclear translocation.
  • (5) The Cole-Moore effect, which was found here only under a specific set of conditions, thus may be a special case rather than the general property of the membrane.
  • (6) Neuroleptics (chlorpromazine, reserpine and haloperidol) had not such an influence, though they somewhat increased the general activity of the animals.
  • (7) Even though attempts to generalize the data from childbearing women to women of childbearing age have an inherent conservative bias, the results of our study suggest that 988 women (95% CI 713 to 1336) aged 15 to 44 years in Quebec had HIV infection in 1989.
  • (8) A subsample of patients scoring over the recommended threshold (five or above) on the general health questionnaire were interviewed by the psychiatrist to compare the case detection of the general practitioner, an independent psychiatric assessment and the 28-item general health questionnaire at two different cut-off scores.
  • (9) Size analysis of the solubilized IgA IP employing sucrose density gradient ultracentrifugation, indicated that these were heterogeneous, with a size generally larger than 19 S.
  • (10) In general, the concentrations measured by bioassay were higher than those by HPLC.
  • (11) Issues such as healthcare and the NHS, food banks, energy and the general cost of living were conspicuous by their absence.
  • (12) These findings suggest that clonidine transdermal disks lower blood pressure in hypertensive patients, but produce local skin lesions and general side effects.
  • (13) Augmentation of transformation response was generally not seen at 40 degrees C; incubation at that temperature was associated with decreased cellular viability.
  • (14) When compared with self-reported exposures, the sensitivity of both job-exposure matrices was low (on average, below 0.51), while the specificity was generally high (on average, above 0.90).
  • (15) 2009 Visits the US for first time to address the UN general assembly.
  • (16) UN internal investigators delivered a report to the then secretary general, Kofi Annan, but it was not published.
  • (17) Those without sperm, or with cloudy fluid, will require vasoepididymostomy under general or epidural anesthesia, which takes 4-6 hr.
  • (18) Ferrocene derivatives, in general, show a degree of versatility, coupling the electron-transfer reactions of many enzymes.
  • (19) Increased iron levels in basal ganglia were generally associated with normal or elevated levels of ferritin immunoreactivity, for example, the substantia nigra in PSP and possibly MSA, and in putamen in MSA.
  • (20) Other recommendations for immediate action included a review of the Nursing and Midwifery Council and the General Medical Council for doctors, with possible changes to their structures; the possible transfer of powers to launch criminal prosecutions for care scandals from the Health and Safety Executive to the Care Quality Council; and a new inspection regime, which would focus more closely on how clean, safe and caring hospitals were.

Specific


Definition:

  • (a.) Of or pertaining to a species; characterizing or constituting a species; possessing the peculiar property or properties of a thing which constitute its species, and distinguish it from other things; as, the specific form of an animal or a plant; the specific qualities of a drug; the specific distinction between virtue and vice.
  • (a.) Specifying; definite, or making definite; limited; precise; discriminating; as, a specific statement.
  • (a.) Exerting a peculiar influence over any part of the body; preventing or curing disease by a peculiar adaption, and not on general principles; as, quinine is a specific medicine in cases of malaria.
  • (n.) A specific remedy. See Specific, a., 3.
  • (a.) Anything having peculiar adaption to the purpose to which it is applied.

Example Sentences:

  • (1) Comparison of the S100 alpha-binding protein profiles in fast- and slow-twitch fibers of various species revealed few, if any, species- or fiber type-specific S100 binding proteins.
  • (2) Unfortunately, due to confidentiality clauses that have been imposed on us by the Department of Immigration and Border Protection, we are unable to provide our full names and … titles … However, we believe the evidence that will be submitted will validate the statements that we are making in this submission.” The submission detailed specific allegations – including names and dates – of sexual abuse of child detainees, violence and bullying of children, suicide attempts by children and medical neglect.
  • (3) Anti-Leu 7 could not be considered as a specific marker for oligodendroglioma.
  • (4) Five probes of high specificity to individual chromosomes (chromosomes 3, 11, 17, 18 and X) were hybridized in situ to metaphase chromosomes of different individuals.
  • (5) The nuclear origin of the Ha antigen was confirmed by the speckled nuclear immunofluorescence staining pattern given by purified antibody to Ha obtained from a specific immune precipitate.
  • (6) The role of Ca2+ in cell agglutination may be either to activate the cell-surface dextran receptor or to form specific intercellular Ca2+ bridges.
  • (7) The Cole-Moore effect, which was found here only under a specific set of conditions, thus may be a special case rather than the general property of the membrane.
  • (8) Although solely nociresponsive neurons are clearly likely to fill a role in the processing and signalling of pain in the conscious central nervous system, the way in which such useful specificity could be conveyed by multireceptive neurons is difficult to appreciate.
  • (9) On the other hand, after exposure to BrdUrd, neuron specific enolase decreased in NB-1 and SK-N-DZ and increased in GOTO.
  • (10) Most of the radioactivity in spleen cells from these rats were associated with antigen-reactive cells which formed rosettes specifically with HO erythrocytes.
  • (11) The origins of aging of higher forms of life, particularly humans, is presented as the consequence of an evolved balance between 4 specific kinds of dysfunction-producing events and 4 kinds of evolved counteracting effects in long-lived forms.
  • (12) The specific activities of extracts from cells grown under phototrophic and aerobic conditions were similar and not affected by the concentration of iron in the growth media.
  • (13) Proliferation assays using F3 showed that 15 (14 CD4+ and 1 CD8+) of the 18 isolated clones were specific for T. gondii.
  • (14) We have developed a new procedure for the rapid preparation of undegraded total RNA from cultured cells for specific quantitation by dot blotting analysis.
  • (15) Further studies are required to elucidate specific roles of the steroid-induced proteins in the effects of glucocorticoids on HTM and HS cells.
  • (16) In addition, the fact that microheterogeneity may occur without limit in the mannans of the strains suggests that antibodies with unlimited diverse specificities are produced directed against these antigenic varieties as well.
  • (17) Four other independent LCMV-GP2(275-289) specific H-2Db-restricted CTL clones also expressed V alpha 4 and V beta 10 gene elements.
  • (18) Training in social skills specific to fostering intimacy is suggested as a therapeutic step, and modifications to the social support measure for future use discussed.
  • (19) When compared with self-reported exposures, the sensitivity of both job-exposure matrices was low (on average, below 0.51), while the specificity was generally high (on average, above 0.90).
  • (20) The specific limited trypsinolysis of bacteriophage T7 RNA polymerase (T7RP) was performed in the presence of various components of the polymerase reaction and some GTP-analogs--irreversible inhibitors of the enzyme.