The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:

Generalization \Gen`er*al*i*za"tion\, n. [Cf. F.
   g['e]n['e]ralisation.]
   [1913 Webster]
   1. The act or process of generalizing; the act of bringing
      individuals or particulars under a genus or class;
      deduction of a general principle from particulars.
      [1913 Webster]

            Generalization is only the apprehension of the one
            in the many.                          --Sir W.
                                                  Hamilton.
      [1913 Webster]

   2. A general inference.
      [1913 Webster]

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006):

generalization
    n 1: reasoning from detailed facts to general principles [syn:
         generalization, generalisation, induction, inductive
         reasoning]
    2: an idea or conclusion having general application; "he spoke
       in broad generalities" [syn: generalization,
       generalisation, generality]
    3: the process of formulating general concepts by abstracting
       common properties of instances [syn: abstraction,
       generalization, generalisation]
    4: (psychology) transfer of a response learned to one stimulus
       to a similar stimulus [syn: generalization,
       generalisation, stimulus generalization, stimulus
       generalisation]