Is universality a formal word?

Yes. It is more common in formal, academic, and written English.

What is the difference between universality and universality of something?

The phrase means the same word used with a topic, like the universality of human rights.

Can I use universality in everyday conversation?

You can, but it may sound formal. In speech, people often say something is for everyone.

← Dictionary

universality

/ˌjuː.nɪ.vɜːˈsæl.ə.ti/

IELTSAcademic

noun

The state of being true, important, or used for everyone or everywhere. It can also mean that something is accepted by all people.

The universality of the idea made it easy to share.
They argued for the universality of human rights.
Music has a kind of universality.

Adinary Nuance

Universality is stronger and broader than commonness or popularity. It suggests something applies to all people, places, or cases, not just many of them. Writers choose it when they want to stress a wide, almost complete reach. It is often used in academic, social, and philosophical writing.

In other languages

Vietnamese: tính phổ quát
Spanish: universalidad
Chinese: 普遍性
Japanese: 普遍性
Korean: 보편성

Etymology

Universality came into English in the late 14th century from Old French universalité, based on Latin universalis, meaning “whole” or “general.”

Common phrases

the universality of human rightsthe universality of languageclaim universalitya sense of universality

Synonyms

universality generality ubiquity commonness

Frequently asked questions

Is universality a formal word?: Yes. It is more common in formal, academic, and written English.
What is the difference between universality and universality of something?: The phrase means the same word used with a topic, like the universality of human rights.
Can I use universality in everyday conversation?: You can, but it may sound formal. In speech, people often say something is for everyone.