English Synonyms and Antonyms
Chapter 58 : common, familiar, ordinary, universal, commonplace, frequent, popular, usual.customary,

common, familiar, ordinary, universal, commonplace, frequent, popular, usual.

customary, habitual, prevalent, everyday, normal, public,

_Common_ signifies frequently occurring, not out of the regular course, not exceptional; hence, not above the average, not excellent or distinguished, inferior, or even low; _common_ also signifies pertaining to or partic.i.p.ated in by two or more persons or things; as, sorrow is _common_ to the race. _General_ may signify pertaining equally to all of a cla.s.s, race, etc., but very commonly signifies pertaining to the greater number, but not necessarily to all. _Universal_ applies to all without exception; _general_ applies to all with possible or comparatively slight exceptions; _common_ applies to very many without deciding whether they are even a majority. A _common_ remark is one we often hear; a _general_ experience is one that comes to the majority of people; a _universal_ experience is one from which no human being is exempt. It is dangerous for a debater to affirm a _universal_ proposition, since that can be negatived by a single exception, while a _general_ statement is not invalidated even by adducing many exceptions.

We say a _common_ opinion, _common_ experience, a _general_ rule, _general_ truth, a _universal_ law. Compare synonyms for NORMAL; USUAL.

Antonyms:

exceptional, infrequent, rare, singular, uncommon, unknown, unusual.

GENEROUS.

Synonyms:

bountiful, free, liberal, n.o.ble, chivalrous, free-handed, magnanimous, open-handed, disinterested, free-hearted, munificent, open-hearted.

_Generous_ (L. _genus_, a race) primarily signifies having the qualities worthy of n.o.ble or honorable birth; hence, free and abundant in giving, giving freely, heartily, and self-sacrificingly. As regards giving, _generous_ refers rather to the self-sacrificing heartiness of the giver, _liberal_ to the amount of the gift; a child may show himself _generous_ in the gift of an apple, a millionaire makes a _liberal_ donation; a _generous_ gift, however, is commonly thought of as both ample and hearty. A _munificent_ gift is vast in amount, whatever the motive of its bestowal. One may be _free_ with another's money; he can be _generous_ only with his own. _Disinterested_ suggests rather the thought of one's own self-denial; _generous_, of one's hearty interest in another's welfare or happiness. One is _magnanimous_ by a greatness of soul (L. _magnus_, great, and _animus_, soul) that rises above all that is poor, mean, or weak, especially above every petty or ign.o.ble motive or feeling pertaining to one's self, and thus above resentment of injury or insult; one is _generous_ by a kindness of heart that would rejoice in the welfare rather than in the punishment of the offender.

Antonyms:

avaricious, greedy, mean, n.i.g.g.ardly, penurious, rapacious, close, ign.o.ble, miserly, parsimonious, petty, stingy.

covetous, illiberal,

GENIUS.

Synonyms:

talent, talents.

_Genius_ is exalted intellectual power capable of operating independently of tuition and training, and marked by an extraordinary faculty for original creation, invention, discovery, expression, etc.

_Talent_ is marked mental ability, and in a special sense, a particular and uncommon apt.i.tude for some special mental work or attainment.

_Genius_ is higher than _talent_, more spontaneous, less dependent upon instruction, less amenable to training; _talent_ is largely the capacity to learn, acquire, appropriate, adapt oneself to demand. Yet the _genius_ that has won the largest and most enduring success has been joined with tireless industry and painstaking. Compare synonyms for MIND; POWER.

Antonyms:

dulness, folly, imbecility, obtuseness, senselessness, stupidity.

GET.

Synonyms:

achieve, attain, gain, procure, secure, acquire, earn, obtain, receive, win.

_Get_ is a most comprehensive word. A person _gets_ whatever he comes to possess or experience, whether with or without endeavor, expectation, or desire; he _gets_ a bargain, a blow, a fall, a fever; he _gains_ what he comes to by effort or striving; the swimmer _gains_ the sh.o.r.e; a man _acquires_ by continuous and ordinarily by slow process; as, one _acquires_ a foreign language. A person is sometimes said to _gain_ and often to _acquire_ what has not been an object of direct endeavor; in the pursuits of trade, he incidentally _gains_ some knowledge of foreign countries; he _acquires_ by a.s.sociation with others a correct or incorrect accent; he _acquires_ a bronzed complexion by exposure to a tropical sun; in such use, what he _gains_ is viewed as desirable, what he _acquires_ as slowly and gradually resulting. A person _earns_ what he gives an equivalent of labor for, tho he may not _get_ it. On the other hand, he may _get_ what he has not _earned_; the temptation to all dishonesty is the desire to _get_ a living or a fortune without _earning_ it. When one _gets_ the object of his desire, he is said to _obtain_ it, whether he has _gained_ or _earned_ it or not. _Win_ denotes contest, with a suggestion of chance or hazard; in popular language, a person is often said to _win_ a lawsuit, or to _win_ in a suit at law, but in legal phrase he is said to _gain_ his suit, case, or cause. In _receiving_, one is strictly pa.s.sive; he may _get_ an estate by his own exertions or by inheritance; in the latter case he is said to _receive_ it. One _obtains_ a thing commonly by some direct effort of his own; he _procures_ it commonly by the intervention of some one else; he _procures_ a dinner or an interview; he _secures_ what has seemed uncertain or elusive, when he _gets_ it firmly into his possession or under his control. Compare synonyms for ATTAIN; MAKE; REACH.

Antonyms:

See synonyms for ABANDON.

GIFT.

Synonyms:

benefaction, boon, bribe, grant, largess, bequest, bounty, donation, gratuity, present.

A _gift_ is in the popular, and also in the legal sense that which is voluntarily bestowed without expectation of return or compensation.

_Gift_ is now almost always used in the good sense, _bribe_ always in the evil sense to signify payment for a dishonorable service under the semblance of a _gift_. In Scriptural language _gift_ is often used for _bribe_. "The king by judgment establisheth the land; but he that receiveth _gifts_ overthroweth it." _Prov._ xxix, 4. A _benefaction_ is a charitable _gift_, generally of large amount, and viewed as of enduring value, as an endowment for a college. A _donation_ is something, perhaps of great, never of trivial value, given usually on some public ground, as to a cause or to a person representing a cause, but not necessarily of value beyond the immediate present; as, a _donation_ to a pastor. A _gratuity_ is usually something of moderate value and is always given as to an inferior, and as of favor, not of right; as, a _gratuity_ to a waiter. _Largess_ is archaic for a bountiful _gratuity_, usually to be distributed among many, as among the heralds at ancient tournaments. A _present_ is a _gift_ of friends.h.i.+p, or conciliation, and given as to an equal or a superior; no one's pride is hurt by accepting what is viewed as strictly a _present_. A _boon_ is a _gift_ that has been desired or craved or perhaps asked, or something freely given that meets some great desire. A _grant_ is commonly considerable in amount and given by public authority; as, a _grant_ of public lands for a college.

Antonyms:

compensation, earnings, guerdon, penalty, remuneration, wages.

GIVE.

Synonyms:

bestow, communicate, deliver, grant, supply.

cede, confer, furnish, impart,

To _give_ is primarily to transfer to another's possession or owners.h.i.+p without compensation; in its secondary sense in popular use, it is to put into another's possession by any means and on any terms whatever; a buyer may say "_Give_ me the goods, and I will _give_ you the money;" we speak of _giving_ answers, information, etc., and often of _giving_ what is not agreeable to the recipient, as blows, medicine, reproof; but when there is nothing in the context to indicate the contrary, _give_ is always understood in its primary sense; as, this book was _given_ me.

_Give_ thus becomes, like _get_, a term of such general import as to be a synonym for a wide variety of words. To _grant_ is to put into one's possession in some formal way, or by authoritative act; as, Congress _grants_ lands to a railroad corporation. To speak of _granting_ a favor carries a claim or concession of superiority on the part of the one by whom the _grant_ may be made; to _confer_ has a similar sense; as, to _confer_ a degree or an honor; we _grant_ a request or pet.i.tion, but do not _confer_ it. To _impart_ is to _give_ of that which one still, to a greater or less degree, retains; the teacher _imparts_ instruction. To _bestow_ is to _give_ that of which the receiver stands in especial need; we _bestow_ alms.

Prepositions:

We give money _to_ a person _for_ a thing, _for_ a purpose, etc. (or without proposition, _give_ a person a sum of money); we give a thing _to_ or _into_ one's care or keeping; the weary fugitive gave himself up _to_ his pursuers.