general strike

American  

noun

1. a mass strike in all or many trades and industries in a section or in all parts of a country.

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general strike British  

noun

1. a strike by all or most of the workers of a country, province, city, etc, esp ( caps. ) such a strike that took place in Britain in 1926

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general strike Cultural  

1. A strike of all of the workers in a nation or area. General strikes are usually brief and designed to show the unity of the working class.

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Etymology

Origin of general strike

An Americanism dating back to 1800–10

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

general strike

Silver Lake sports bar Untamed Spirits and Canyon Coffee in Echo Park said on social media that they will be closed Friday for the general strike.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 29, 2026

At the end of that year a general strike brought the country to a halt.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 10, 2026

The head of Portugal's largest union, CGTP, called the reforms "one of the greatest attacks ever made against workers" in the country and announced a general strike for 11 December.

From BBC ● Nov. 8, 2025

The fresh rally came after the Gen Z movement called for a general strike and rejected President Andry Rajoelina's attempts to defuse the tensions rocking the Indian Ocean island.

From Barron's ● Oct. 9, 2025

The Seattle Strike, the first general strike in the United States, takes place.

From "1919 The Year That Changed America" by Martin W. Sandler