in general

Idioms  

1. 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 .

2. 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]

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

in general

“Interest rates go up, interest rates go down — but in general, real estate is a long-term buy,” he said.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 17, 2026

It’s notable that the key academic advocates of Proposition 40, and wealth taxes in general, are French.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 15, 2026

“Since that really big winter in 1983, we’ve had several occasions of pretty active winter storms, but we’ve sort of dodged bullets because those storms, in general, didn’t fall upon the highest tides,” Cayan said.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 12, 2026

"Since the first trees were planted, there has been a spectacular increase in butterflies, dragonflies, and biodiversity in general," said the 43-year-old, who took over running the family's Cascina Oschina farm in 2012.

From Barron's ● Oct. 12, 2026

It was easy to say good-bye to the monks in general, but not to Brother Ferz, who made me a novice and taught me to read and write.

From "The Many Assassinations of Samir, the Seller of Dreams" by Daniel Nayeri

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Related Words

• especially
• essentially
• largely
• mostly
• predominantly
• principally

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