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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.

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

From Seattle Times • Apr. 23, 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

A violent debate arose on the question of expelling from the Legion of Honour certain members of that order, including a general officer, who had been involved in the delation scandal.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 10, Slice 7 "Fox, George" to "France" by Various