general
of or relating to all persons or things belonging to a group or category: a general meeting of the employees.
of, relating 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.
not limited to one class, field, product, service, etc.; miscellaneous: the general public;general science.
considering or dealing with overall characteristics, universal aspects, or important elements, especially without considering all details or specific aspects: general instructions; a general description;a general resemblance one to another.
not specific or definite: I could give them only a general idea of what was going on.
(of anesthesia or an anesthetic) causing loss of consciousness and abolishing sensitivity to pain throughout the body.
having extended command or superior or chief rank: the secretary general of the United Nations;the attorney general.
Military.
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.
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.
U.S. Marine Corps. an officer holding the highest rank in the corps.
(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.
Ecclesiastical. the chief official of a religious order.
something that is general; generality.
Archaic. general public.
Idioms about general
in general,
with respect to the whole class referred to; as a whole: He likes people in general.
as a rule; usually: In general, the bus is here by 9 a.m.
Origin of general
1synonym study For general
word story For general
The military sense of general (noun) dates from the mid-16th century; general officer and general of the army date from the mid-17th century. The heads of some Roman Catholic religious orders are called generals, a usage that began in the 16th century and applied originally to the Jesuits but now applies to the Franciscans and Dominicans as well; the usage was extended in the 19th century to the head of the Salvation Army.
The phrase in general originally meant “in a body, collectively” (a sense that is now obsolete), with a clear relation to the sense of the adjective general “with respect to a whole class, group, or category.” It later developed further to mean “usually,” which can be interpreted as meaning “as a general rule (rather than a specific instance).”
Other words for general
Opposites for general
Other words from general
- gen·er·al·ness, noun
- pseu·do·gen·er·al, adjective
- un·der·gen·er·al, noun
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
British Dictionary definitions for general
/ (ˈdʒɛnərəl, ˈdʒɛnrəl) /
common; widespread: a general feeling of horror at the crime
of, including, applying to, or participated in by all or most of the members of a group, category, or community
relating to various branches of an activity, profession, etc; not specialized: general office work
including various or miscellaneous items: general knowledge; a general store
not specific as to detail; overall: a general description of the merchandise
not definite; vague: give me a general idea of when you will finish
applicable or true in most cases; usual
(prenominal or immediately postpositive) having superior or extended authority or rank: general manager; consul general
Also: pass designating a degree awarded at some universities, studied at a lower academic standard than an honours degree: See honours (def. 2)
med relating to or involving the entire body or many of its parts; systemic
logic (of a statement) not specifying an individual subject but quantifying over a domain
an officer of a rank senior to lieutenant general, esp one who commands a large military formation
any person acting as a leader and applying strategy or tactics
a general condition or principle: opposed to particular
a title for the head of a religious order, congregation, etc
med short for general anaesthetic
archaic the people; public
in general generally; mostly or usually
Origin of general
1Derived forms of general
- generalness, noun
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Other Idioms and Phrases with general
see in general; on (general) principle.
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
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