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Webster 1913 Edition

Universal

Uˊni-ver′sal

,
Adj.
[L.
universalis
: cf. F.
universel
, OF. also
universal
. See
Universe
.]
1.
Of or pertaining to the universe; extending to, including, or affecting, the whole number, quantity, or space; unlimited; general; all-reaching; all-pervading;
as,
universal
ruin;
universal
good;
universal
benevolence or benefice.
“Anointed universal King.”
Milton.
The
universal
cause
Acts not by partial, but by general laws.
Pope.
This
universal
frame began.
Dryden.
☞ Universal and its derivatives are used in common discourse for general and its derivatives. See
General
.
2.
Constituting or considered as a whole; total; entire; whole;
as, the
universal
world
.
Shak.
At which the
universal
host up dent
A shout that tore Hell’s concave.
Milton.
3.
(Mech.)
Adapted or adaptable to all or to various uses, shapes, sizes, etc.;
as, a
universal
milling machine
.
4.
(Logic)
Forming the whole of a genus; relatively unlimited in extension; affirmed or denied of the whole of a subject;
as, a
universal
proposition
; – opposed to
particular
; e. g. (
universal
affirmative) All men are animals; (
universal
negative) No men are omniscient.
Universal chuck
(Mach.)
,
a chuck, as for a lathe, having jaws which can be moved simultaneously so as to grasp objects of various sizes.
–
Universal church
,
the whole church of God in the world; the catholic church. See the Note under
Catholic
,
Adj.
, 1.
–
Universal coupling
.
(Mach.)
Same as
Universal joint
, below.
–
Universal dial
,
a dial by which the hour may be found in any part of the world, or under any elevation of the pole.
–
Universal instrument
(Astron.)
,
a species of altitude and azimuth instrument, the peculiarity of which is, that the object end of the telescope is placed at right angles to the eye end, with a prism of total reflection at the angle, and the eye end constitutes a portion of the horizontal axis of the instrument, having the eyepiece at the pivot and in the center of the altitude circle, so that the eye has convenient access to both at the same time.
–
Universal joint
(Mach.)
,
a contrivance used for joining two shafts or parts of a machine endwise, so that the one may give rotary motion to the other when forming an angle with it, or may move freely in all directions with respect to the other, as by means of a cross connecting the forked ends of the two shafts (Fig. 1). Since this joint can not act when the angle of the shafts is less than 140°, a double joint of the same kind is sometimes used for giving rotary motion at angles less than 140° (Fig. 2).
–
Universal umbel
(Bot.)
,
a primary or general umbel; the first or largest set of rays in a compound umbel; – opposed to partial umbel. A universal involucre is not unfrequently placed at the foot of a universal umbel.
Syn. – General; all; whole; total. See
General
.

Uˊni-ver′sal

,
Noun.
1.
The whole; the general system of the universe; the universe.
[Obs.]
Plato calleth God the cause and original, the nature and reason, of the
universal
.
Sir W. Raleigh.
2.
(Logic)
(a)
A general abstract conception, so called from being universally applicable to, or predicable of, each individual or species contained under it.
(b)
A universal proposition. See
Universal
,
Adj.
, 4.

Webster 1828 Edition

Universal

UNIVERS'AL

,
Adj.
[L. universalis;unus and versor.]
1.
All; extending to or comprehending the whole number, quantity or space; as universal ruin; universal good; universal benevolence.
The universal cause acts not by partial, but by general laws.
2.
Total; whole.
From harmony, from heav'nly harmony, this universal frame began.
3.
Comprising all the particulars; as universal kinds.
4.
In botany, a universal umbel, is a primary or general umbel; the first or largest set of rays in a compound umbel; opposed to partial. A universal involucre is placed at the foot of a universal umbel.
Universal instrument, is one which measures all kinds of distances, lengths, &c.; as the pantometer or holometer.
Universal dial, is a dial by which the hour may be found by the sun in any part of the world, or under any elevation of the pole.
Universal proposition. [See the noun.]

UNIVERS'AL

,
Noun.
[See the adjective.]
1.
In logic, a universal is complex or incomplex. A complex universal, is either a universal proposition, as 'every whole is greater than its parts,' or whatever raises a manifold conception in the mind, as the definition of a reasonable animal.
An incomplex universal, is what produces one conception only in the mind, and is a simple thing respecting many; as human nature, which relates to every individual in which it is found.
2.
The whole; the general system of the universe. [Not in use.]

Definition 2024

universal

universal

English

Adjective

universal ‎(comparative more universal, superlative most universal)

  1. Of or pertaining to the universe.
  2. Common to all members of a group or class.
    • 1922, Henry Ford, My Life and Work:
      I had been planning every day through these years toward a universal car.
    • 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."
  3. Common to all society; world-wide
    She achieved universal fame.
  4. Cosmic; unlimited; vast; infinite
  5. Useful for many purposes, e.g., universal wrench.

Derived terms

Related terms

Antonyms

Translations

See also

External links

  • universal in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913
  • universal in The Century Dictionary, The Century Co., New York, 1911

Noun

universal ‎(plural universals)

  1. (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:
      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".

See also

External links

Catalan

Adjective

universal m, f ‎(masculine and feminine plural universals)

  1. universal

Galician

Adjective

universal m, f (plural universais)

  1. of or pertaining to the universe
  2. world-wide, universal, common to all cultures

Synonyms

Related terms

German

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /univɛʁˈzaːl/
  • Rhymes: -aːl

Adjective

universal ‎(comparative universaler, superlative am universalsten)

  1. universal

Declension

Comparative forms of universal
number & gender singular plural
masculine feminine neuter all genders
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

Old French

Adjective

universal m ‎(oblique and nominative feminine singular universale)

  1. universal

Descendants

Portuguese

Etymology

From Latin universalis.

Pronunciation

  • (Portugal) IPA(key): /u.ni.vɨɾ.ˈsaɫ/
  • Hyphenation: u‧ni‧ver‧sal

Adjective

universal m, f ‎(plural universais, comparable)

  1. Of or pertaining to the universe; universal.
  2. Common to all society; universal; world-wide.
  3. Common to all members of a group or class; universal.

Quotations

For usage examples of this term, see Citations:universal.

Inflection

Related terms

Spanish

Adjective

universal m, f ‎(plural universales)

  1. universal

Related terms

Etymology

From Old French universal (French universel), from Latin universalis.

Pronunciation

  • (UK) IPA(key): /ˌjuːnɪˈvɜːsl/
  • (US) IPA(key): /ˌjuːnɪˈvɜːrsl/
  • Rhymes: -ɜː(r)səl

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