SITE DEFINITION

Generalist (noun)

a person competent in several different fields or activities. Oxford English Dictionary

1.a a person who is knowledgeable in many fields of study. Collins English Dictionary (BE) Collins English Dictionary. Copyright © HarperCollins Publishers.

1.b.  (as modifier)a generalist profession

2.  ecology - an organism able to utilize many food sources and therefore able to flourish in many habitats. Compare specialist (sense 3)

3. medical - General Practitioner - medical doctor often known as a GP, who performs general medical diagnosis and treatment. Commonly the first point of contact to the medical system, who then refers patients to medical specialists.

In US English a slight variation in meaning is becoming common, thus:

an administrator, teacher, etc. with broad general knowledge and experience in several disciplines or areas, as opposed to a specialist. Webster’s New World College Dictionary, 4th Edition. Copyright © 2010 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. All rights reserved.

Usage examples:

You become a specialist rather than a generalist.

Al Ries and Laura Ries THE 22 IMMUTABLE LAWS OF BRANDING (2002)

They hate waiting and they presume that generalists know everything.

Times, Sunday Times (2012)

The specialist species seem to have suffered while the generalists have thrived.

Times, Sunday Times (2014)

Being a generalist that works in a variety of sectors inevitably brings its own challenges.

Times, Sunday Times (2016)

Synonyms - The following words can be used as synonyms in particular contexts,

Non-specialist,

Notes:

The term “Jack of all trades” is not truly equivalent to a ‘Generalist’, since it tends to denote a handyman. The word ‘generalist’ has professional connotations regarding knowledge, conveying the idea of a non-specialised expert, having at least equal standing with experts in terms of overall knowledge, education and qualification, but not restricted to a particular field of knowledge. An Expert Specialist may have a Bachelors Degree, a Masters Degree, and a Phd in a specialist subject, where a generalist may have four different Bachelors Degrees, and a wide range of experiences.

Use of the word ‘Generalist’ was very rare prior to the 1950’s, but has seen markedly increased usage since.