Synonyms

major general

American

noun

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

major general British

noun

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:

major general

Peng holds a noncombat civilian cadre rank equivalent to major general in the People’s Liberation Army.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 29, 2026

"This is what we have been calling for a long time," military expert Bashir Galma, a retired major general, told the BBC.

From BBC ● Aug. 5, 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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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023