JLPT N1Kanji compounds

普遍

Readingふへんfuhen

Meaning
すべての物事や場合に共通して当てはまる性質
Explanation
「普遍(ふへん)」refers to a property that applies in common to all things and cases, used as in「普遍的な真理」(universal truth). It is the antonym of c2's「特殊」(special), which means "only specific situations." c1's "becoming widely known" means a trend or being well known, which differs from 普遍, meaning applying without exception.
Original Japanese explanation

「普遍(ふへん)」はすべての物事や場合に共通して当てはまる性質を指し、「普遍的な真理」のように使う。c2の「特定の場面だけ」を意味する「特殊」とは対義の関係にある。c1の「広く知れ渡る」は流行や周知の意味で、例外なく当てはまるという普遍とは異なる。

Examples
  • 普遍的な真理

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