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general staff

American  

noun

(used with a singular or plural verb)
  1. 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

  1. 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

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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

And this was enough to win,” said Franz-Stefan Gady, a Vienna-based military analyst who played the Russian chief of general staff.

From The Wall Street Journal Feb. 5, 2026

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

From BBC Jan. 13, 2026

When Picquart presented the evidence to the general staff of the French army, he himself was driven out of the military and jailed for a year, while Esterhazy was acquitted.

From Barron's Nov. 18, 2025

The facts Oppenheimer favored disclosing publicly “are of the greatest significance to the general staff of an enemy.”

From "Big Science" by Michael Hiltzik

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