in general
Idioms-
Referring to a group of persons or a subject as a whole, as opposed to particular ones. For example, I am speaking about contracts in general , or Girls in general mature at a younger age than boys . [Late 1300s] For an antonym, see in particular .
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For the most part; commonly, usually. For example, In general the children behaved very well , or Our winters are quite mild in general . [Early 1700s]
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
PayPal delivered an earnings beat last month, and while CEO Enrique Lores didn’t comment directly on the Stripe takeover reports, he said the company wouldn’t dismiss an acquisition in general.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 28, 2026
But in general, even a degree in the humanities and other non-STEM fields tends to result in higher incomes compared with those who never finished college.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 28, 2026
The true gift of a film like this — films in general, really — is that even though what you’re watching isn’t real, how it makes you feel is.
From Salon ● Aug. 27, 2026
His firm is bullish for agricultural commodities in general, and is betting on rising cocoa prices in anticipation of El Niño disruption in West Africa and other exposed places, such as Ecuador.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 27, 2026
To another he talked about newspapermen in general: “Those guys always write bad stories about me. They say I’m stupid and that I have no talent in anything except for chess. It’s not true.”
From "Endgame" by Frank Brady
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
