Generalization

Generalization is a way of making sure that what we learn will apply in new situations. When you generalize something, you are taking a set of facts and using them to understand something bigger than the facts themselves.

For example, if you were to learn that cats usually purr and meow, you could generalize that cats make noises. You now know that cats make noises, even if you haven't heard every kind of noise they make. You are able to use what you already know about cats to understand something about all cats, even if you haven't seen or heard every single one.