of or relating to all persons or things belonging to a group or category: a general meeting of the employees.
of, relating to, or true of such persons or things in the main, with possible exceptions; common to most; prevalent; usual: the general mood of the people.
not limited to one class, field, product, service, etc.; miscellaneous: the general public; general science.
considering or dealing with overall characteristics, universal aspects, or important elements, especially without considering all details or specific aspects: general instructions; a general description; a general resemblance one to another.
not specific or definite: I could give them only a general idea of what was going on.
(of anesthesia or an anesthetic) causing loss of consciousness and abolishing sensitivity to pain throughout the body.
having extended command or superior or chief rank: the secretary general of the United Nations; the attorney general.
noun
Military.
U.S. Armyand Air Force.an officer ranking above a lieutenant general and below a general of the army or general of the air force.
U.S. Army.an officer of any of the five highest ranks: a brigadier general, major general, lieutenant general, general, or general of the army.
U.S. Marine Corps.an officer holding the highest rank in the corps.
(in numerous armies) an officer in the highest, second, or third highest rank, as one ranking immediately below a field marshal in the British army.
Ecclesiastical. the chief official of a religious order.
something that is general; generality.
Archaic. the general public.
Idioms for general
in general,
with respect to the whole class referred to; as a whole: He likes people in general.
as a rule; usually: In general, the bus is here by 9 a.m.
Origin of general
First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English, from Latin generālis, equivalent to gener- (stem of genus “race, kind”) + -ālis adjective suffix; see origin at genus, -al1
1, 2. General,common,popular,universal agree in the idea of being nonexclusive and widespread. General means belonging to, or prevailing throughout, a whole class or body collectively, irrespective of individuals: a general belief.Common means shared by all, and belonging to one as much as another: a common interest; common fund; but use of this sense is frequently avoided because of ambiguity of sense. Popular means belonging to, adapted for, or favored by the people or the public generally, rather than by a particular (especially a superior) class: the popular conception; a popular candidate.Universal means found everywhere, and with no exceptions: a universal longing.
historical usage of general
English general (adjective and noun) comes via Old French from the Latin adjective generālis “common, belonging to all, belonging to a race or genus” (as opposed to speciālis “particular, belong to a species”). The military sense of general (noun) dates from the mid-16th century; general officer and general of the army date from the mid-17th century. The heads of some Roman Catholic religious orders are called generals, a usage that began in the 16th century and applied originally to the Jesuits but now applies to the Franciscans and Dominicans as well; the usage was extended in the 19th century to the head of the Salvation Army. The phrase in general originally meant “in a body, collectively” (a sense that is now obsolete), with a clear relation to the sense of the adjective general “with respect to a whole class, group, or category.” It later developed further to mean “usually,” which can be interpreted as meaning “as a general rule (rather than a specific instance).”
gene mapping, gene patent, gene pool, genera, generable, general, General Accounting Office, general-adaptation syndrome, general admission, General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade, General American
The USPS lawyer told the court Thursday that the agency’s warning was not unusual and that a similar warning was issued before the 2016 general election.
Federal judge issues temporary injunction against USPS operational changes amid concerns about mail slowdowns|Elise Viebeck, Jacob Bogage|September 17, 2020|Washington Post
In general, this is reviewing that wants to create a sport from it, that wants people to participate without knowing how to win.
Christian Puglisi Is Closing His Influential Copenhagen Restaurants. COVID Is Only Partly to Blame|Rafael Tonon|September 17, 2020|Eater
The attorney general parroting the president’s false assertions about the reliability of mail-in voting.
William Barr is the poster child for politicized law enforcement officials|Philip Bump|September 17, 2020|Washington Post
Fewer have taken action for the general election, as the move has become increasingly partisan and subject to litigation.
Vote by mail: Which states allow absentee voting|Kate Rabinowitz, Brittany Mayes|September 17, 2020|Washington Post
The report says the data also show that LGBTQ people are 20 percent more likely than the general population to have experienced a reduction in work hours during the reopening period.
HRC examines hospital policies, impact of COVID on LGBTQ people|Lou Chibbaro Jr.|September 16, 2020|Washington Blade
It also contains some clunky passages of adultery, temptations of the flesh, and general sexual awkwardness.
Powerful Congressman Writes About ‘Fleshy Breasts’|Asawin Suebsaeng|January 7, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Your general reaction runs along the lines of: “When will these geezers give it up and go for a mall walk or something?”
The World’s Toughest Political Quiz|Jeff Greenfield|December 31, 2014|DAILY BEAST
In general, their presence is meant to throw you off your game by design.
Brie Larson’s Hollywood Transformation|Marlow Stern|December 29, 2014|DAILY BEAST
And the Absinthe House has a full list: Other famous imbibers include P.T. Barnum, Oscar Wilde, and General Robert E. Lee.
The Bars That Made America Great|Nina Strochlic|December 28, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Krivov was sentenced to serve four years at a general regime penal colony for his fight for freedom and human rights.
Behind Bars for the Holidays: 11 Political Prisoners We Want to See Free In 2015|Movements.Org|December 25, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The arrival of General Washington arrested the disorder, and determined the victory on our side.
Memoirs, Correspondence and Manuscripts of General Lafayette|Lafayette
With all this, the general resistiveness, as has been stated, remained towards feeding or any other interference.
Benign Stupors|August Hoch
The arts in general are carried among these people to a greater degree of perfection than by the other natives of Sumatra.
The History of Sumatra|William Marsden
The General had a quick eye to see where improvement could be introduced, and his energy never flagged.
From Slave to College President|Godfrey Holden Pike
I wrote the one here in question, which met with general acceptance; and I do not remember that any one else competed.
The Germ|Various
British Dictionary definitions for general
general
/ (ˈdʒɛnərəl, ˈdʒɛnrəl) /
adjective
common; widespreada general feeling of horror at the crime
of, including, applying to, or participated in by all or most of the members of a group, category, or community
relating to various branches of an activity, profession, etc; not specializedgeneral office work
including various or miscellaneous itemsgeneral knowledge; a general store
not specific as to detail; overalla general description of the merchandise
not definite; vaguegive me a general idea of when you will finish
applicable or true in most cases; usual
(prenominal or immediately postpositive)having superior or extended authority or rankgeneral manager; consul general
Also: passdesignating a degree awarded at some universities, studied at a lower academic standard than an honours degreeSee honours (def. 2)
medrelating to or involving the entire body or many of its parts; systemic
logic(of a statement) not specifying an individual subject but quantifying over a domain
noun
an officer of a rank senior to lieutenant general, esp one who commands a large military formation
any person acting as a leader and applying strategy or tactics
a general condition or principle: opposed to particular
a title for the head of a religious order, congregation, etc
med short for general anaesthetic
archaicthe people; public
in generalgenerally; mostly or usually
Derived forms of general
generalness, noun
Word Origin for general
C13: from Latin generālis of a particular kind, from genus kind