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

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:

general staff

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

They will be joined in the UAE by the chief of the general staff, Andrii Hnatov.

From BBC ● Jan. 23, 2026

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

From BBC ● Jan. 13, 2026

Gen. Wiesław Kukuła, chief of the general staff of the Polish Army, called the latest sabotage an act of aggression.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 18, 2025

It was like a newspaper on election night; general staff headquarters on D-Day minus one.

From "Cheaper by the Dozen" by Frank B. Gilbreth Jr. and Ernestine Gilbreth Carey

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