Relating to or done by all people or things in a group, or true everywhere. It suggests something very widely shared.
From Old French 'universel', from Latin 'ūniversālis' meaning 'of the whole', from 'ūniversus' (turned into one, whole). It entered English in the 1300s.
Universal originally meant 'turned into one whole', like gathering everything under one umbrella. So a 'universal rule' is a rule that tries to cover everyone in that big imagined whole.
Claims that something is 'universal' have often been based on male or majority-group experiences, presented as if they applied to all genders. In philosophy, medicine, and law, 'universal' standards frequently ignored women's bodies, labor, and perspectives.
Be precise about the scope of 'universal' claims and check whether data or theories actually include diverse genders and backgrounds; otherwise, qualify the term (e.g., 'widely shared' instead of 'universal').
["widely shared","broadly applicable","general","common"]
When revisiting 'universal' theories, highlight women and gender-minority scholars who exposed their limits and expanded them to include more human experiences.
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