泛指

fànzhǐ

verb #46,848

Meanings

1 to refer to in a general sense
2 to be a general reference for

Characters

point to, refer to

Examples

"江南"泛指长江以南的地区。

"Jiāngnán" fànzhǐ Chángjiāng yǐnán de dìqū.

'Jiangnan' generally refers to the region south of the Yangtze.

这个词泛指一切交通工具。

Zhège cí fànzhǐ yīqiè jiāotōng gōngjù.

This word refers to vehicles in general.

Tips

usage

Common in dictionary-style explanations and academic writing. Contrast with 特指 (tèzhǐ, 'to refer specifically to'). A definition often pairs the two: 'X 泛指 Y, 特指 Z' — X is generally Y, but specifically Z.

Stroke Order

泛 fàn

指 zhǐ