general-purpose

American  

[jen-er-uhl-pur-puhs] / ˈdʒɛn ər əlˈpɜr pəs /

adjective

1. useful in many ways; not limited in use or function.

   a good general-purpose dictionary.

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general-purpose British  

adjective

1. having a range of uses or applications; not restricted to one function

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Etymology

Origin of general-purpose

First recorded in 1890–95

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

general-purpose

Founded in 2024, Tau began working on humanoids, or general-purpose robots with a human-like body structure, a year ago.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 16, 2026

Exports of Canadian consumer goods also were up strongly, as were shipments of industrial machinery, equipment and parts thanks partly to a rise in general-purpose machinery sent to the U.S.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 6, 2026

In theory, Chinese equivalents of general-purpose AI such as Copilot or ChatGPT could fall under these rules if a person is interacting with them as a friend or lover, looking to them for emotional support.

From BBC ● Sep. 30, 2026

Unlike general-purpose DRAM, HBM is a specialized type of memory that is faster and more power-efficient, making it ideal for artificial intelligence.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 4, 2026

The one shown at the upper left-hand is considered by Roberts, in his "Fertility of the Land," to be the ideal general-purpose plow, as respects shape and method of construction.

From Manual of Gardening (Second Edition) by L. H. (Liberty Hyde) Bailey

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