Generalists

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. Individuals who possess a broad range of knowledge across various fields rather than deep expertise in one area
2. People equipped with diverse skills and competencies, allowing them to adapt to multiple roles or tasks
3. Professionals capable of navigating different domains, providing valuable insights by integrating information from various disciplines

Etymology: "Generalist" is a close partner to "specialist." Both pair words for kinds of things: "general" comes from Latin "generalis," belonging to a "genus," or class, while "special" comes from Latin "specialis," from "species," a particular sort. A generalist deals with the whole class of things, and a specialist with one sort within it. The word is a transparent formation: "general" plus the suffix "-ist," which marks a person who practises or follows something. Its sense is therefore built from its parts, describing someone whose knowledge spans many fields rather than one narrow area.

Synonyms: jack-of-all-trades, multidisciplinarians

Antonyms: specialists, experts