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general officer

American  

noun

Military.
  1. an officer ranking above colonel.


general officer British  

noun

  1. an officer holding a commission of brigadier's rank or above in the army, air force, or marine corps

"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

Etymology

Origin of general officer

An Americanism dating back to 1635–45

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.

See Examples For:

Navy judge advocate general officer, and Michele Morrow, a former candidate for state superintendent, are also running for the Republican Senate nomination.

From The Wall Street Journal Dec. 20, 2025

Officials said the verdict marked the first court-martial trial and conviction of a general officer in the Air Force’s 75-year history.

From Seattle Times Apr. 26, 2022

In 1979, Mr. Powell, then 42, was promoted to one-star general, becoming the youngest general officer in the Army at the time.

From New York Times Oct. 18, 2021

“Since this endeavor began, not a single general officer has accepted accountability,” Lt.

From Washington Times Oct. 14, 2021

Of the total number of West Pointers who went South, 148 were promoted to the rank of general officer.

From The Civil War Centennial Handbook by Price, William H.

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