General Assembly

American  

noun

1. the legislature in some states of the U.S.

2. the main deliberative body of the United Nations, composed of delegations from member nations.

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General Assembly British  

noun

1.  GA.  the deliberative assembly of the United Nations

2. the former name for the parliament of New Zealand

3. the supreme governing body of certain religious denominations, esp of the Presbyterian Church

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Etymology

Origin of General Assembly

An Americanism dating back to 1610–20

Example Sentences

State Sen. Lisa Grafstein, a longtime civil rights lawyer, said the state bar is worried: “If you push back against the General Assembly, what’s the next thing that’s going to happen to you?”

From Slate • Apr. 10, 2026

On Thursday, a United Nations committee concluded that Mexico’s disappearance crisis constituted “crimes against humanity” and took what it called the “exceptional step” of forwarding the matter to the General Assembly.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 6, 2026

Slavery was the "most horrendous crime that took place in the history of mankind", Ghana's foreign minister has told the BBC ahead of a landmark vote at the UN General Assembly.

From BBC • Mar. 25, 2026

IPC president Andrew Parsons justified the decision by citing the vote taken at the organisation's General Assembly last September, in favour of both countries returning under their flags.

From Barron's • Mar. 6, 2026

The Connecticut General Assembly had made laws about how much you could charge for things.

From "My Brother Sam is Dead" by James Lincoln Collier and Christopher Collier