The term “generic” has been employed in literature to denote a broad, common, or all-encompassing category that often contrasts with individuality or specificity. In some texts it is used to emphasize that a subject must be considered in a general, non-specific light—for instance, when discussing religion, authors urge a broad, “generic” approach that overlooks peculiar, religious accidents [1]. In biological and taxonomic contexts, “generic” is contrasted with specific traits, as seen in Darwin’s work where characters common to a group are differentiated from those unique to individuals [2, 3, 4]. The term also appears in grammatical and nomenclatural discussions, referring to standard classifications such as “generic articles” or names used for groups of species [5, 6, 7]. Moreover, “generic” can evoke a sense of common humanity and fundamental substance in philosophical musings, hinting at an inherent unity or sameness beneath individual differences [8, 9, 10]. Thus, across varied disciplines—from philosophy to biology, linguistics to taxonomy—“generic” serves as a versatile descriptor that conveys generality, common classification, and a reduction to essential, non-specific elements.