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General

 - 9 dictionary results
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gen⋅er⋅al

  [jen-er-uhl]
Use General in a Sentence
–adjective
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.
–noun
8. Military.
a. U.S. Army and Air Force. an officer ranking above a lieutenant general and below a general of the army or general of the air force.
b. U.S. Army. an officer of any of the five highest ranks: a brigadier general, major general, lieutenant general, general, or general of the army.
c. U.S. Marine Corps. an officer holding the highest rank in the corps.
d. (in numerous armies) an officer in the highest, second, or third highest rank, as one ranking immediately below a field marshal in the British army.
9. Ecclesiastical. the chief official of a religious order.
10. something that is general; generality.
11. Archaic. the general public.
—Idiom
12. in general,
a. with respect to the whole class referred to; as a whole: He likes people in general.
b. as a rule; usually: In general, the bus is here by 9 a.m.
Origin:
1250–1300; ME < L generālis, equiv. to gener- (s. of genus) genus + -ālis -al 1

Related forms:
gen⋅er⋅al⋅ness, noun

Synonyms:
1, 2. customary, prevailing, regular, ordinary; catholic. General, common, popular, universal agree in the idea of being nonexclusive and widespread. General means belonging to, or prevailing throughout, a whole class or body collectively, irrespective of individuals: a general belief. Common means shared by all, and belonging to one as much as another: a common interest; common fund; but use of this sense is frequently avoided because of ambiguity of sense. Popular means belonging to, adapted for, or favored by the people or the public generally, rather than by a particular (esp. a superior) class: the popular conception; a popular candidate. Universal means found everywhere, and with no exceptions: a universal longing. 5. ill-defined, inexact, imprecise, approximate.

Antonyms:
1. special, limited. 5. definite, exact, precise.
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Tom Thumb

 
–noun
1. a diminutive hero of folk tales.
2. an extremely small person; dwarf.
3. General, nickname of Charles Sherwood Stratton.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To General
gen·er·al   (jěn'ər-əl)   
adj.  

  1. Concerned with, applicable to, or affecting the whole or every member of a class or category: "subduing all her impressions as a woman, to something more general" (Virginia Woolf).

  2. Affecting or characteristic of the majority of those involved; prevalent: general discontent.

  3. Of or affecting the entire body: general paralysis.

  4. Being usually the case; true or applicable in most instances but not all: the general correctness of her decisions.

    1. Not limited in scope, area, or application: as a general rule.

    2. Not limited to or dealing with one class of things; diversified: general studies.

  6. Involving only the main features rather than precise details: a general grasp of the subject.

  7. Highest or superior in rank: the general manager.

n.  

    1. Abbr. GEN or Gen or Gen. A commissioned rank in the U.S. Army, Air Force, or Marine Corps that is above lieutenant general.

    2. One who holds this rank or a similar rank in another military organization.

  2. A general officer.

  3. A statement, principle, or fact that embraces or is applicable to the whole.

  4. General anesthesia.

  5. Archaic The public.


[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.
Antonym: particular
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
Cite This Source
Cultural Dictionary

Tom Thumb

A thumb-sized hero of children's stories from the sixteenth century on.

The American Heritage® New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition
Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Word Origin & History

general  (adj.)
c.1300 (implied in generally), from L. generalis "relating to all, of a whole class" (contrasted with specialis), from genus (gen. generis) "stock, kind" (see genus). Noun sense of "commander of an army" is 1576 shortening of captain general, from M.Fr. capitaine général. The title generalissimo (1621) is from It., superlative of generale, from a sense development similar to the Fr.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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Legal Dictionary

Main Entry: gen·er·al
Pronunciation: 'jen-r&l, 'je-n&-
Function: adjective
1 : involving, applicable to, or affecting the whole
2 : involving, relating to, or applicable to every member of a class, kind, or group
3 : not confined by specialization or limitation
4 : relating to, determined by, or concerned with main elements rather than limiting details general resemblance>
5 : holding superior rank or taking precedence over others similarly titled general manager>
Merriam-Webster's Dictionary of Law, © 1996 Merriam-Webster, Inc.
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Medical Dictionary

Main Entry: gen·er·al
Pronunciation: 'jen-(&-)r&l
Function: adjective
1 : not confined by specialization or careful limitationgeneral surgeon>
2 : belonging to the common nature of a group of like individuals general characteristics of a species>
3 : involving or affecting practically the entire organism : not local <general nervousness>
Merriam-Webster's Medical Dictionary, © 2002 Merriam-Webster, Inc.
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Idioms & Phrases

general

see in general; on (general) principle.

The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.
Copyright © 1997. Published by Houghton Mifflin.
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Encyclopedia

general

title and rank of a senior army officer, usually one who commands units larger than a regiment or its equivalent or units consisting of more than one arm of the service. Frequently, however, a general is a staff officer who does not command troops but who plans their operations in the field. General, lieutenant general, and major general are the first, second, and third grades of general officers in many armies. The United States Army, Air Force, and Marines have a fourth general officer grade, brigadier general (brigadier in the British Army). The highest U.S. Army rank, five-star general of the army, was created in 1944 and was conferred upon Henry Harley "Hap" Arnold, Dwight D. Eisenhower, Douglas MacArthur, and George C. Marshall in that year and upon Omar N. Bradley in 1950. The four-star rank of general of the army of the United States was established for Ulysses S. Grant in 1866 and was bestowed later upon William T. Sherman and Philip Sheridan; the unique four-star rank of general of the armies of the United States, created in 1799 for George Washington but never held by him, was conferred upon John J. Pershing in 1919.

Learn more about general with a free trial on Britannica.com.

Encyclopedia Britannica, 2008. Encyclopedia Britannica Online.
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