1.
versatility; general-purpose applicability
The quality of being usable in many different situations or for many purposes. Commonly used when evaluating tools, skills, technology, or methods.
汎用性 describes how widely applicable something is — whether a tool, skill, technology, or method can be used in many different situations.
Forms
汎用 (general-purpose) + 性 (quality, -ness). The base word 汎用 means "general-purpose" and appears in compounds like 汎用機 (general-purpose machine).
Common collocations
- 汎用性が高い: highly versatile
- 汎用性が低い: not very versatile
- 汎用性に優れる: to excel in versatility
- 汎用性のある〜: versatile ~
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Commonly used in technical, business, and product evaluation contexts. Somewhat formal — in casual speech, 使い道が多い (has many uses) conveys a similar idea.