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
Words Nearby general
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
How to use general in a sentence
The USPS lawyer told the court Thursday that the agency’s warning was not unusual and that a similar warning was issued before the 2016 general election.
Federal judge issues temporary injunction against USPS operational changes amid concerns about mail slowdowns | Elise Viebeck, Jacob Bogage | September 17, 2020 | Washington PostIn general, this is reviewing that wants to create a sport from it, that wants people to participate without knowing how to win.
Christian Puglisi Is Closing His Influential Copenhagen Restaurants. COVID Is Only Partly to Blame | Rafael Tonon | September 17, 2020 | EaterThe attorney general parroting the president’s false assertions about the reliability of mail-in voting.
William Barr is the poster child for politicized law enforcement officials | Philip Bump | September 17, 2020 | Washington PostFewer have taken action for the general election, as the move has become increasingly partisan and subject to litigation.
Vote by mail: Which states allow absentee voting | Kate Rabinowitz, Brittany Mayes | September 17, 2020 | Washington PostThe report says the data also show that LGBTQ people are 20 percent more likely than the general population to have experienced a reduction in work hours during the reopening period.
HRC examines hospital policies, impact of COVID on LGBTQ people | Lou Chibbaro Jr. | September 16, 2020 | Washington Blade
“They are hypocritical on this very issue,” Shearer said about Obama, Attorney general Eric Holder and other public officials.
It also contains some clunky passages of adultery, temptations of the flesh, and general sexual awkwardness.
Powerful Congressman Writes About ‘Fleshy Breasts’ | Asawin Suebsaeng | January 7, 2015 | THE DAILY BEASTClosed courthouses, rogue clerks, and misleading statements from the attorney general as Florida welcomes same-sex marriage.
The Back Alley, Low Blow-Ridden Fight to Stop Gay Marriage in Florida Is Finally Over | Jay Michaelson | January 5, 2015 | THE DAILY BEAST“We would just as soon stay away from a group that will create controversy,” the Cubs general manager Sam Bernabe told the paper.
Your general reaction runs along the lines of: “When will these geezers give it up and go for a mall walk or something?”
A Yankee, whose face had been mauled in a pot-house brawl, assured general Jackson that he had received his scars in battle.
The Book of Anecdotes and Budget of Fun; | VariousIn the year of misery, of agony and suffering in general he had endured, he had settled upon one theory.
The Homesteader | Oscar MicheauxTo others the fierce desire for social justice obliterates all fear of a general catastrophe.
The Unsolved Riddle of Social Justice | Stephen LeacockFinally, let me ask the general reader to put aside all prejudice, and give both sides a fair hearing.
God and my Neighbour | Robert Blatchfordgeneral Lachambre, as the hero of Cavite, followed to receive the applause which was everywhere showered upon him in Spain.
The Philippine Islands | John Foreman
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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