universals
Things applying everywhere
Universals are qualities, properties, or characteristics that can be shared by multiple particular things.
In philosophy, a universal is an abstract entity like "redness" or "justice" that exists apart from any specific red object or just act—contrasted with particulars, which are individual concrete things.
The term also appears in linguistics to describe features supposedly common to all human languages, such as the presence of nouns and verbs.
Philosophers have debated whether universals exist independently or only in the mind.
Philosophy emphasizing ideal Forms
- formsVarieties or documents
- essencesFundamental natures or extracts
- PlatoGreek philosopher, academy founder
- AristotleGreek founder of formal logic
particulars · nominalism · realism · conceptualism · ontology · metaphysics · abstraction · idealism
Classification by shared traits
- alignmentCorrect relative positioning
- ergative-absolutiveGrammar where intransitive subjects pattern with objects
- analyticExamining by decomposition
- syntheticProduced artificially, not natural
agglutinating · isolating · tendencies · correlations · inflectional · Greenberg · word order · cross-linguistic
Accepted starting principles
- theoremsProven mathematical statements
- propositionsStatements asserted for consideration
- postulatesAssumed starting principles
- constantsUnchanging fixed values
invariants · variables · truth · validity · categories · quantifiers · predicates · necessity
Core elements of something
- tenetsFoundational beliefs of doctrine
- doctrinesCodified belief systems
- preceptsRules of conduct
- maximsSuccinct statements of truth
canons · basics · foundations · bedrock · cornerstones · truths · laws · rules
Universal symbolic patterns
- motifsRecurring thematic elements
- themesMain ideas throughout
- paradigmsAccepted models of thought
- templatesPreset formats for copying
prototypes · structures · symmetry · repetition · recurrence · commonalities · regularities · uniformities
Standards for measuring performance
- criteriaStandards for judgment
- normsExpected behavioral standards
- baselinesInitial reference measurements
- specificationsStated requirements and parameters
guidelines · metrics · parameters · conformity · calibration · consistency · protocols · ISO
Platonism
Philosophy emphasizing ideal Forms
- formsVarieties or documents
- essencesFundamental natures or extracts
- PlatoGreek philosopher, academy founder
Aristotle · particulars · nominalism · realism · conceptualism · ontology · metaphysics · abstraction · idealism · transcendentals
typology
Classification by shared traits
- alignmentCorrect relative positioning
- ergative-absolutiveGrammar where intransitive subjects pattern with objects
- analyticExamining by decomposition
synthetic · agglutinating · isolating · tendencies · correlations · inflectional · Greenberg · word order · cross-linguistic
axioms
Accepted starting principles
- theoremsProven mathematical statements
- propositionsStatements asserted for consideration
- postulatesAssumed starting principles
constants · invariants · variables · truth · validity · categories · quantifiers · predicates · necessity · sufficiency
fundamentals
Core elements of something
maxims · canons · basics · foundations · bedrock · cornerstones · truths · laws · rules · dictums
archetypes
Universal symbolic patterns
templates · prototypes · structures · symmetry · repetition · recurrence · commonalities · regularities · uniformities · cross-cultural
benchmarks
Standards for measuring performance
- criteriaStandards for judgment
- normsExpected behavioral standards
- baselinesInitial reference measurements
specifications · guidelines · metrics · parameters · conformity · calibration · consistency · protocols · ISO · interoperability
- metaphysicsessence, being, reality, existence, substance theory
- philosophy termstruth, reason, knowledge, wisdom, logic
- PlatoPlato, academy, Academy, allegory, the Republic
- Abstractsabstractions, concepts, ideas, properties, qualities
- ontologyontology, being, existence, becoming, particulars
- medieval metaphysicssubstance, essence, being, existence, particulars
universalsparticulars
Individual facts or details
individuals · singulars · specifics · instances · tokens
universalsexceptions
Cases not following rules
anomalies · idiosyncrasies · contingencies · peculiarities · special cases
- universal jointsRotational couplings permitting angulation
- universal remoteDevice operating multiple electronics
- Universal StudiosFilm production and entertainment company
- universal healthcareGuaranteed medical access nationwide
- universal truthFact holding everywhere, always
- universal languageSpeech all understand
universal, universally, universality, universalize, universalism, universalized, universalizing, universalizes, universalities