general staff

American

noun

(used with a singular or plural verb)

a group of officers who are without command and whose duty is to assist high commanders in planning and carrying out orders in peace and war.

general staff British

noun

officers assigned to advise commanders in the planning and execution of military operations

"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

Example Sentences

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general staff

Ukraine's general staff released footage on Wednesday of a naval drone attack on a sanctioned tanker called Blue.

From BBC ● Jul. 9, 2026

France also authorized temporary access to U.S. aircraft on bases located on French soil, a French army general staff official told Reuters.

From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 5, 2026

The army's general staff said explosions and a fire were recorded in the area.

From BBC ● Jan. 13, 2026

Haddad had been the army's chief of general staff since August 2020.

From Barron's ● Dec. 24, 2025

The facts Oppenheimer favored disclosing publicly “are of the greatest significance to the general staff of an enemy.”

From "Big Science" by Michael Hiltzik

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023