l]
| 1. | of or pertaining to all persons or things belonging to a group or category: a general meeting of the employees. |
| 2. | of, pertaining to, or true of such persons or things in the main, with possible exceptions; common to most; prevalent; usual: the general mood of the people. |
| 3. | not limited to one class, field, product, service, etc.; miscellaneous: the general public; general science. |
| 4. | considering or dealing with overall characteristics, universal aspects, or important elements, esp. without considering all details or specific aspects: general instructions; a general description; a general resemblance one to another. |
| 5. | not specific or definite: I could give them only a general idea of what was going on. |
| 6. | (of anesthesia or an anesthetic) causing loss of consciousness and abolishing sensitivity to pain throughout the body. |
| 7. | having extended command or superior or chief rank: the secretary general of the United Nations; the attorney general. |
| 8. | Military.
|
| 9. | Ecclesiastical. the chief official of a religious order. |
| 10. | something that is general; generality. |
| 11. | Archaic. the general public. |
| 12. | in general,
|
gen·er·al (jěn'ər-əl) adj.
[Middle English, from Latin generālis, from genus, gener-, kind; see genə- in Indo-European roots.] gen'er·al·ness n. Synonyms: These adjectives mean belonging to, relating to, or affecting the whole: the general welfare; a common enemy; generic likenesses; universal military conscription. |