A general is a senior officer in the armed forces, usually in the army.
He rose through the ranks to become a general.
2. adjective [ADJECTIVE noun]
If you talk about the general situation somewhere or talk about something in general terms, you are describing the situation as a whole rather than considering its details or exceptions.
The figures represent a general decline in employment.
...the general deterioration of English society.
See in general terms
3. adjective [ADJECTIVE noun]
You use general to describe several items or activities when there are too many of them or when theyare not important enough to mention separately.
£2,500 for software is soon swallowed up in general costs.
His firm took over the planting and general maintenance of the park last March.
Synonyms: overall, complete, total, global More Synonyms of general
4. adjective [ADJECTIVE noun]
You use general to describe something that involves or affects most people, or most people in a particular group.
The project should raise general awareness about bullying.
5. adjective [ADJECTIVE noun]
If you describe something as general, you mean that it is not restricted to any one thing or area.
...a general ache radiating from the back of the neck.
...a general sense of well-being.
...raising the level of general physical fitness.
6. adjective [ADJECTIVE noun]
A general business offers a variety of services or goods rather than just one particular kind.
They ran the general store and the farm dairy.
7. adjective [ADJECTIVE noun]
General is used to describe a person's job, usually as part of their title, to indicate that they have complete responsibility for the administration of an organization or business.
[business]
He joined Sanders Roe, moving on later to become General Manager.
8. adjective [ADJECTIVE noun]
General workers do a variety of jobs which require no special skill or training.
The farm employed a tractor driver and two general labourers.
9. graded adjective [ADJECTIVE noun]
General is used to describe a person who has an average amount of knowledge or interest in a particular subject.
This book is intended for the general reader rather than the student.
Synonyms: ordinary, regular, usual, typical More Synonyms of general
10. See also generally
11.
See in general
12.
See in general
13.
See in general
More Synonyms of general
general in British English
(ˈdʒɛnərəl, ˈdʒɛnrəl)
adjective
1.
common; widespread
a general feeling of horror at the crime
2.
of, including, applying to, or participated in by all or most of the members of a group, category, or community
3.
relating to various branches of an activity, profession, etc; not specialized
general office work
4.
including various or miscellaneous items
general knowledge
a general store
5.
not specific as to detail; overall
a general description of the merchandise
6.
not definite; vague
give me a general idea of when you will finish
7.
applicable or true in most cases; usual
8. (prenominal or immediately postpositive)
having superior or extended authority or rank
general manager
consul general
9. Also: pass
designating a degree awarded at some universities, studied at a lower academic standard than an honours degree
honours (sense 2)
10. medicine
relating to or involving the entire body or many of its parts; systemic
11. logic
(of a statement) not specifying an individual subject but quantifying over a domain
noun
12.
an officer of a rank senior to lieutenant general, esp one who commands a large military formation
13.
any person acting as a leader and applying strategy or tactics
14.
a general condition or principle: opposed to particular
15.
a title for the head of a religious order, congregation, etc
16. medicine short for general anaesthetic
17. archaic
the people; public
18. in general
Derived forms
generalness (ˈgeneralness)
noun
Word origin
C13: from Latin generālis of a particular kind, from genus kind
general in American English
(ˈdʒɛnərəl; ˈdʒɛnrəl)
adjective
1.
of, for, or from the whole or all; not particular or local
a general anesthetic, the general welfare
2.
of, for, or applying to a whole genus, kind, class, order, or race
the general classifications of matter
3.
existing or occurring extensively; common; widespread
a general unrest
4.
most common; usual
the general spelling of a word
5.
concerned with the main or overall features; lacking in details; not specific
the general features of a plan
6.
not precise; vague
to speak in general terms
7.
senior or highest in rank
an attorney general
8.
not connected with or limited to one branch or department of learning, business, etc.; not specialized
a general store
noun
9.
the main or overall fact, condition, idea, etc.
see also particular
10.
the head of some religious orders
11. Archaic
the public; populace
12.
any of various military officers ranking above a colonel
; specif.,
a. US Army and Air Force
such an officer, with an insignia of four stars, ranking above a lieutenant general
see also brigadier general, major general
b. US Marine Corps
an officer of the highest rank
13.
an anesthetic that makes a patient unconscious
see also local (sense 12): in full general anesthetic
SIMILAR WORDS: ˈcommon, ˌuniˈversal
Idioms:
in general
Word origin
ME < OFr < L generalis < genus (gen. generis), kind, class: see genus
Examples of 'general' in a sentence
general
The picture is just as confused if one lines up general assessments of the situation.
Christianity Today (2000)
Amicus members are not being represented because their general secretary chooses not to represent them.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
Are we heading for a general strike?
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
What is vital is a familiarity with the subject and the general knowledge to answer questions.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
Under the new deal they will be paid for from general taxation rather than additions to bills.
The Sun (2013)
The anger may be directed at people in general because she feels betrayed rather than protected.
Wilkinson, Helena Beyond Chaotic Eating (1993)
You are almost a general in the backs.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
This is a very important case for the general public.
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
He was a rising star who would have been promoted to lieutenant general.
The Sun (2009)
To suffer with an illness that affects my hamstrings and general fitness has been a nightmare.
Times, Sunday Times (2006)
Soldiers had come from all over the country to bury the general with military honours.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
It named three senior generals as potential coup leaders.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
The general feeling was that such objects "belonged "there.
You are also able to force the company to hold a formal annual general meeting.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
Just to the younger ones in general.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
They will be questioned on specialist subjects and general knowledge.
The Sun (2014)
But his poor performances have led to speculation that he will be replaced by a younger leader before the general election.
Times, Sunday Times (2006)
In general terms the interior and most rural regions produced most officers while the coastal and most urban ones produced the fewest.
Shubert, Adrian A Social History of Modern Spain (1991)
It's just life in general and it represents me.
The Sun (2013)
In other languages
general
British English: general /ˈdʒɛnərəl; ˈdʒɛnrəl/ ADJECTIVE
If you talk about the general situation somewhere or talk about something in general terms, you are describing the situation as a whole rather than part of it.
The figures represent a general decline in employment.
American English: general
Arabic: عَامّ
Brazilian Portuguese: geral
Chinese: 普通的
Croatian: opći
Czech: všeobecný
Danish: generel
Dutch: algemeen
European Spanish: general
Finnish: yleinen
French: général
German: allgemein
Greek: γενικός
Italian: generale
Japanese: 一般の
Korean: 일반적인
Norwegian: generelt
Polish: ogólny
European Portuguese: geral
Romanian: general
Russian: общий
Latin American Spanish: general
Swedish: allmän
Thai: โดยทั่วไป
Turkish: genel
Ukrainian: загальний
Vietnamese: chung không riêng
British English: general /ˈdʒɛnərəl; ˈdʒɛnrəl/ NOUN
A general is a senior officer in the armed forces, usually in the army.
The troops received a visit from the general.
American English: general
Arabic: لِوَاء
Brazilian Portuguese: general
Chinese: 将军
Croatian: general
Czech: generál
Danish: general
Dutch: generaal
European Spanish: general
Finnish: kenraali
French: général
German: General
Greek: στρατηγός
Italian: generale
Japanese: 将軍
Korean: 장군
Norwegian: general
Polish: generał
European Portuguese: general
Romanian: general
Russian: генерал
Latin American Spanish: general
Swedish: general
Thai: นายพล
Turkish: genel
Ukrainian: генерал
Vietnamese: tướng
All related terms of 'general'
in general
You use in general to indicate that you are talking about something as a whole , rather than about part of it.
agent-general
a representative in London of a Canadian province or an Australian state
cook-general
(formerly, esp in the 1920s and '30s) a domestic servant who did cooking and housework
cooks-general
(formerly, esp in the 1920s and '30s) a domestic servant who did cooking and housework
general audit
an audit of all a company's accounts
general costs
the general expenses of running a business
General Court
a Colonial legislative assembly with limited judicial powers
general order
any of a numbered series of orders under competent authority, including general directives, announcements , etc.
general shop
a shop that sells various types of goods
general staff
officers assigned to advise commanders in the planning and execution of military operations
general store
a shop which sells various types of goods
General Synod
the governing body, under Parliament, of the Church of England, made up of the bishops and elected clerical and lay representatives
general trend
A trend is a change or development towards something new or different.
general will
(in the philosophy of Rousseau ) the source of legitimate authority residing in the collective will as contrasted with individual interests
major general
In Britain , a major general is a senior officer in the army . In the United States , a major general is a senior officer in the army, air force , or marines .
vicar general
an official, usually a layman , appointed to assist the bishop of a diocese in discharging his or her administrative or judicial duties
agents-general
a representative in London of a Canadian province or an Australian state
Auditor General
(in Canada) a federal official responsible for auditing government departments and making an annual report
consul general
a consul of the highest grade , usually stationed in a city of considerable commercial importance
consuls general
a consul of the highest grade , usually stationed in a city of considerable commercial importance
Estates General
→ States-General (sense 1 )
farmer-general
(in France before 1789) a member of a group allowed to farm certain taxes
farmers-general
(in France before 1789) a member of a group allowed to farm certain taxes
general average
loss or damage to a ship or its cargo that is shared among the shipowners and all the cargo owners
general dealer
a shop that sells various types of goods
general degree
a degree awarded at some universities, studied at a lower academic standard than an honours degree
general health
A person's health is the condition of their body and the extent to which it is free from illness or is able to resist illness.
general holiday
a public holiday
general journal
A general journal is a journal recording all of the transactions of a business.
general ledger
The general ledger is a part of a business's financial records and includes the balance sheet , profit and loss and expense account.
general manager
a manager with overall responsibility (rather than responsibility for a specific department )
general meeting
a meeting of all the shareholders of a company , often held annually
general officer
an officer holding a commission of brigadier's rank or above in the army , air force, or marine corps
general paresis
→ paresis (sense 2 )
general public
You can refer to the people in a society as the general public , especially when you are contrasting people in general with a small group.
general-purpose
having a range of uses or applications ; not restricted to one function
general science
basic science taught as a school subject
general servant
a domestic servant who performs general tasks
general strike
A general strike is a situation where most or all of the workers in a country are on strike and are refusing to work.
General Studies
a school subject that includes a variety of skills and topics (such as comprehension , and current affairs , which may complement the study of A-levels in specific subjects)
States General
the bicameral legislature of the Netherlands
surgeon general
(in the British, US, and certain other armies and navies ) the senior officer of the medical service
Valuer General
a state official who values properties for rating purposes
vicars general
an official, usually a layman , appointed to assist the bishop of a diocese in discharging his or her administrative or judicial duties
adjutant general
a member of the Army Board responsible for personnel and administrative functions
adjutants general
a member of the Army Board responsible for personnel and administrative functions
attorney general
A country's Attorney General is its chief law officer, who advises its government or ruler .
attorneys general
a country's chief law officer and senior legal adviser to its government
brigadier general
In the United States , a brigadier general is a senior officer in the armed forces who is often in charge of a brigade and has a rank above colonel and below major general.
consulate general
the office or residence of a consul general
Chinese translation of 'general'
general
(ˈdʒɛnərl)
adj
(= overall)
[situation]总(總)的 (zǒng de)
[decline, standard]一般的 (yībān de)
⇒ the general standard of education in England英格兰教育的一般标准 (Yīnggélán jiàoyù de yībān biāozhǔn)
⇒ general expenses such as meals and phone calls饭费、电话费等常规消费 (fànfèi, diànhuàfèi děng chángguī xiāofèi)
n(c)
(Mil) 将(將)军(軍) (jiāngjūn) (位, wèi)
⇒ General Montgomery蒙哥马利将军 (Ménggēmǎlì Jiāngjūn)
in general (= as a whole) 总(總)的来(來)说(說) (zǒng de lái shuō)
⇒ Teachers in general are pleased with the new scheme.总的来说教师们对新方案比较满意。 (Zǒng de lái shuō jiàoshīmen duì xīn fāngàn bǐjiào mǎnyì.)
(= on the whole) 一般来(來)说(說) (yībān lái shuō)
⇒ In general, it was the young who voted in the election.一般来说是年轻人在选举中投票。 (Yībān lái shuō shì niánqīngrén zài xuǎnjǔ zhōng tóupiào.)
as a general rule一般而言 (yībān ér yán)
in general terms大致上说(說) (dàzhìshang shuō)
the general public广(廣)大公众(眾) (guǎngdà gōngzhòng)
All related terms of 'general'
in general
( as a whole ) 总(總)的来(來)说(說) zǒng de lái shuō ⇒ Teachers in general are pleased with the new scheme. → 总的来说教师们对新方案比较满意。 Zǒng de lái shuō jiàoshīmen duì xīn fāngàn bǐjiào mǎnyì.
Attorney General
( Brit ) 检(檢)察总(總)长(長) jiǎnchá zǒngzhǎng [ 名 míng ]
general election
( in Britain, United States ) 大选(選) dàxuǎn [ 届 jiè ]
general anaesthetic
全身麻醉 quánshēn mázuì
general knowledge
常识(識) chángshí ⇒ How's your general knowledge? → 你的常识怎么样？ Nǐ de chángshí zěnmeyàng?
in general terms
大致上说(說) dàzhìshang shuō
the general public
广(廣)大公众(眾) guǎngdà gōngzhòng
"on general release"
( film ) "公开(開)上映" "gōngkāi shàngyìng"
as a general rule
一般而言 yībān ér yán
to have a general anaesthetic
被全身麻醉 bèi quánshēn mázuì
g 3
gram 克 kè
gen.
general, generally
GP
general practitioner 家庭医(醫)生 jiātíng yīshēng [ 位 wèi ]
practitioner
general practitioner 开(開)业者 kāiyèzhě [ 名 míng ]
AGM
annual general meeting 年度会(會)议(議) niándù huìyì
GNVQ
general national vocational qualification 国(國)家职(職)业(業)技能综(綜)合考试(試) Guójiā Zhíyè Jìnéng Zōnghé Kǎoshì
GCSE
General Certificate of Secondary Education 普通中等教育证(證)书(書) Pǔtōng Zhōngděng Jiàoyù Zhèngshū
the (general) public
民众(眾) mínzhòng
1 (adjective)
Definition
including various or miscellaneous items
Contrary to general opinion, these plants do not need acidic soil.
Synonyms
widespread
There is widespread support for the proposals.
Food shortages are widespread.
accepted
There is no generally accepted definition of life.
popular
the popular misconception that dinosaurs were all lumbering giants
public
Parliament's decision was in line with public opinion.
common
It is common practice for people to invest in holiday homes here.
broad
a film with broad appeal
extensive
The blast caused extensive damage.
universal
proposals for universal health care
prevailing
individuals who have gone against the prevailing opinion
prevalent
Smoking is becoming increasingly prevalent among younger women.
accustomed
He took up his accustomed position at the fire.
Opposites
private
,
individual
,
personal
2 (adjective)
His firm took over general maintenance of the park last summer.
Synonyms
overall
The council needs to cut down its overall spending.
complete
total
The car was in a total mess.
I mean I'm not a total idiot.
global
a global vision of contemporary society
comprehensive
The book is a comprehensive guide to the region.
blanket
the blanket coverage of the Olympics
inclusive
an inclusive price of £32.90
all-embracing
overarching
Opposites
limited
,
restricted
,
partial
,
demarcated
3 (adjective)
Definition
of, affecting, or including all or most of the members of a group
The figures represent a general decline in unemployment.
Synonyms
universal
overall
widespread
collective
across-the-board
The President promised across-the-board tax cuts if re-elected.
all-inclusive
Opposites
special
,
unusual
,
extraordinary
,
distinctive
,
exceptional
,
peculiar
4 (adjective)
Definition
not definite
chemicals called by the general description `flavour enhancer'
Synonyms
vague
His description of the events was very vague.
broad
a broad outline of the Society's development
loose
We came to some sort of loose arrangement before he went home.
blanket
sweeping
unclear
inaccurate
The reports were based on inaccurate information.
approximate
The times are approximate only.
woolly
It is no good setting vague, woolly goals – we need a specific aim.
indefinite
a person of indefinite age
hazy
I have only a hazy memory of what he was like.
imprecise
The charges were vague and imprecise.
ill-defined
staff with ill-defined responsibilities
inexact
Forecasting was an inexact science.
unspecific
undetailed
generic
Parmesan is a generic term for a family of Italian hard cheeses.
indiscriminate
the indiscriminate arrests during the protests
Opposites
particular
,
specific
,
exact
,
precise
,
definite
5 (adjective)
Definition
not specialized or specializing
This book is intended for the general reader rather than the student.
Synonyms
ordinary
It was just an ordinary day for us.
regular
Children are encouraged to make reading a regular routine.
usual
She's smiling her usual, friendly smile.
typical
typical pastimes such as watching films and reading
conventional
the cost of fuel and electricity used by a conventional system
everyday
an exhilarating escape from the drudgery of everyday life
customary
It is customary to offer a drink or a snack to guests.
Opposites
special
,
extraordinary
,
exceptional
,
rare
,
infrequent
phrase
See in general
Additional synonyms
in the sense of accepted
Definition
commonly approved or recognized
There is no generally accepted definition of life.
Synonyms
agreed,
received,
common,
standard,
established,
traditional,
confirmed,
regular,
usual,
approved,
acknowledged,
recognized,
sanctioned,
acceptable,
universal,
authorized,
customary,
agreed upon,
time-honoured,
admitted,
normal,
conventional
in the sense of accustomed
Definition
usual or customary
He took up his accustomed position at the fire.
Synonyms
usual,
established,
expected,
general,
common,
standard,
set,
traditional,
normal,
fixed,
regular,
ordinary,
familiar,
conventional,
routine,
everyday,
customary,
habitual,
wonted
in the sense of across-the-board
Definition
affecting everyone in a particular group or place equally
The President promised across-the-board tax cuts if re-elected.