general strike

American  

noun

1. a mass strike in all or many trades and industries in a section or in all parts of a country.

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general strike British  

noun

1. a strike by all or most of the workers of a country, province, city, etc, esp ( caps. ) such a strike that took place in Britain in 1926

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general strike Cultural  

1. A strike of all of the workers in a nation or area. General strikes are usually brief and designed to show the unity of the working class.

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Etymology

Origin of general strike

An Americanism dating back to 1800–10

Example Sentences

If this message were really getting through to people, maybe we’d see riots, a general strike or perhaps even a global understanding that we need to hunker down and work together, not unlike the general response to the COVID-19 pandemic in its early stages.

From Salon

“Close coordination with dissidents on the ground. Protection from the security forces if they open fire. Money, including support for a general strike fund. Assistance with ensuring internet access for all Iranians. And ensure that airstrikes don’t hit Evin Prison or other prisons where dissidents are being held; a lot of potential opposition leaders are in there.”

From Los Angeles Times

Last month, they called for a general strike in support of the demonstrations.

From Barron's

The Chamber of Deputies shrugged off a general strike by weakened unions to pass its version 135-115 on Feb. 19.

From Barron's

They’ve cooked, cared and crusaded for their city and its people, culminating in Minneapolis’ largest general strike since the city joined San Francisco and Toledo in pro-union strikes in 1934, all to show the world what’s possible when we come together.

From Salon