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Synonyms

major general

American  

noun

  1. a military officer ranking next below a lieutenant general and next above a brigadier general.


major general British  

noun

  1. military an officer immediately junior to a lieutenant general

"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

Other Word Forms

Etymology

Origin of major general

First recorded in 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.

See Examples For:

“We’re going to see these things everywhere,” said Mick Ryan, a military analyst and retired Australian Army major general.

From The Wall Street Journal Aug. 26, 2026

“The big systems need to be fixed, and he is doing that,” John Ferrari, a retired Army major general and fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, said of Feinberg.

From The Wall Street Journal Apr. 16, 2026

We have looked at a detailed breakdown of the state of 210 NHS Wales sites, ranging from community clinics to major general hospitals.

From BBC Apr. 2, 2026

Guest: Steven J. Lepper, retired Air Force major general and former deputy legal counsel to the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

From Slate Dec. 2, 2025

Having achieved the rank of major general, Garfield resigned his U.S.

From "Ambushed!" by Gail Jarrow

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