泛指 (fàn zhǐ) — to refer to in a general sense; to be used as a general term
Definition
A formal/logical term meaning 'to refer to a whole category, not a specific one.' Contrasts directly with 特指 ('to refer to a specific one') — paired opposites often seen in linguistic and academic contexts.
verb
to refer to in a general senseto be used as a general term
Examples
- 泛指，。Zhè ge cí fàn zhǐ gè zhǒng bù tóng de qíng kuàng, bù zhǐ shì zhǐ yì zhǒng.This word generally refers to various different situations, not just one.
- “”泛指，。Tā shuō de "dà jiā" fàn zhǐ zài chǎng de suǒ yǒu rén, bú shì tè zhǐ mǒu gè rén.His use of 'everyone' generally refers to all people present, not specifically to any one person.
- ，泛指，。Zài yǔ yán xué zhōng, zhè ge shù yǔ fàn zhǐ yí lèi xiàn xiàng, ér fēi gè bié lì zi.In linguistics, this term generally refers to a class of phenomena, not individual instances.
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