What context can I use each word in?
Learn when and how to use these words with these examples!
commonize
Example
The company aims to commonize the use of renewable energy sources across all its facilities. [commonize: verb]
Example
The government is working to commonize the use of face masks to prevent the spread of the virus. [commonizing: gerund or present participle]
generalize
Example
You can't generalize about all cats based on the behavior of one cat. [generalize: verb]
Example
The teacher asked the students to generalize the mathematical concept to solve similar problems. [generalizing: gerund or present participle]
Good things to know
Which word is more common?
Generalize is more commonly used than commonize in everyday language. Generalize is versatile and can be used in various contexts, while commonize is less common and may sound less natural in everyday conversation.
Whatโs the difference in the tone of formality between commonize and generalize?
While commonize is typically associated with a more formal tone, generalize can be used in both formal and informal contexts.