universal

universal — adjective

1. relating to all people or places without exception; found or happening throughou

1.adjectiveB2
Definition

relating to all people or places without exception; found or happening throughout the world or across a whole group.

Example

After the earthquake destroyed their homes, the survivors felt a universal human need for safety.

collocation: universal human need

The proposal received universal support from the committee members.

Common collocations
  • universal human need
  • universal right
  • universal support
  • universal agreement
  • universal law
  • universal appeal
Synonyms
  • global

    focuses on physical or geographic scope (e.g. global economy) rather than affecting all people

  • widespread

    less formal; means found in many places but not necessarily everywhere

  • general

    broader and less emphatic; suggests what is true for most but not all

Antonyms
  • local

    restricted to one area or group

  • particular

    referring to a specific person, place, or thing rather than all

Grammar Patterns

universal + noun

Usage Note

Commonly appears before nouns such as right, need, law, agreement, or principle. In everyday conversation, synonyms like 'widespread' or 'general' are often preferred.

Common Mistakes

The rainy weather is universal in Taiwan this month.
The rainy weather is widespread in Taiwan this month.
'Universal' implies something affects all people everywhere, not just most of a single region.

2. designed to work with many different devices, systems, or uses — for example, a

2.adjectiveC1
Definition

designed to work with many different devices, systems, or uses — for example, a charger that fits phones from multiple brands.

Example

This is a universal charger that works with phones from most brands.

collocation: universal charger

The remote control uses a universal code that works on many TV models.

Common collocations
  • universal charger
  • universal adapter
  • universal remote
  • universal joint
  • universal design
Synonyms
  • all-purpose

    more informal; common in everyday language for tools and cleaners

  • versatile

    emphasises flexibility in function rather than cross-brand compatibility

Antonyms

Grammar Patterns

universal + noun

Usage Note

Frequently used in product names and technical descriptions for chargers, adapters, remotes, and software that work across multiple systems or brands. Avoid using for one-time or single-purpose items.

Common Mistakes

This coupon is universal and can be used at any store in the city.
This coupon can be used at any store in the city.
'Universal' in this sense describes a product designed for multiple systems, not a promotional offer's range of acceptance.

universal — noun

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/1

All four words describe something that affects many people or places, but they differ in scope and formality. Universal is the strongest — it means without exception, affecting everyone or everywhere (e.g., a universal human right). Global refers literally to the whole planet and is most natural for physical or corporate reach: a global company, global warming. Widespread is less formal and means happening across a large area or among many people, but not necessarily all (e.g., widespread use of smartphones). Common is the weakest and most casual: it simply means happening often or found in many places. Use universal for absolute, all-encompassing claims; global for planet-wide physical or organisational scope; widespread for broad but not total distribution; and common for everyday frequency.

universal ↗global ↗widespread ↗common ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

  • universally
  • almost universally
  • virtually universal
  • nearly universal

Phrases

  • universal in scope
  • far from universal
  • near universal

Prepositions

Etymology

LatinOld FrenchEnglish

Universal comes from Latin universalis, meaning 'of or belonging to all.' This was formed from universus ('whole, entire') — a combination of unus ('one') and versus ('turned,' from vertere 'to turn'). So the root image is of many things 'turned into one.' The word passed through Old French (universel) and entered English around the 1300s, first in religious and philosophical writing and later in everyday use.