general

Alternative forms

• generall (chiefly archaic)

Etymology

From Middle English general, in turn from Anglo-Norman general, generall, Middle French general, and their source, Latin generālis, from genus (“class, kind”) + -ālis (“-al”).

Pronunciation

• (UK, US) IPA^(key): /ˈd͡ʒɛnɹəl/
• (US) IPA^(key): /ˈd͡ʒɛnəɹəl/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

• Hyphenation: gen‧er‧al

Adjective

general (comparative more general, superlative most general)

1. Including or involving every part or member of a given or implied entity, whole etc.; as opposed to specific or particular. [from 13th c.]
   • c. 1495, John Skelton, "Vppon a deedman's hed":

     It is generall / To be mortall: / I haue well espyde / No man may hym hyde / From Deth holow eyed [...].

   • 1842, Douglas Jerrold, "Mr Peppersorn ‘At Home’", Cakes and Ale:

     "Among us!" was the general shout, and Peppersorn sat frozen to his chair.

   • 1946, Bertrand Russell, History of Western Philosophy, I.27:

     Undoubtedly the age of the Antonines was much better than any later age until the Renaissance, from the point of view of the general happiness.

   • 2006, Ruth Sutherland, "Invite public to the private equity party", The Observer, 15 Oct 06:

     One advantage of having profitable companies in Britain is that they pay large sums in corporate tax into the Exchequer, which in theory at least is used for the general good.

2. (sometimes postpositive) Applied to a person (as a postmodifier or a normal preceding adjective) to indicate supreme rank, in civil or military titles, and later in other terms; pre-eminent. [from 14th c.]
   • 1865, Edward Cust, Lives of the Warriors of the Thirty Years War, page 527:

     For these successes he obtained the rank of Field-Marshal General.

   • 2002, James Turner, Libertines and Radicals in Early Modern London, page 122:

     He becomes the chief chartered libertine, the whoremaster-general flourishing his "standard" over a female army [...].

3. Prevalent or widespread among a given class or area; common, usual. [from 14th c.]
   • 1817, Walter Scott, Rob Roy, IX:

     ‘I can't quite afford you the sympathy you expect upon this score,’ I replied; ‘the misfortune is so general, that it belongs to one half of the species [...].’

   • 2008, John Patterson, "Home movies", The Guardian, 20 Dec 08:

     The general opinion on Baz Luhrmann's overstuffed epic Australia seems to be that it throws in everything but the kitchen sink, and then tosses that in too, just to be sure.

4. Not limited in use or application; applicable to the whole or every member of a class or category. [from 14th c.]
   • 1924, Time, 17 Mar 1924:

     M. Venizelos went to Athens from Paris early last January in response to a general invitation from the Greek populace.

   • 2009, Douglas P Zipes, Saturday Evening Post, volume 281:1, page 20:

     Supraventricular tachycardia (SVT) is a general term indicating a rapid heartbeat (tachycardia) coming from the top chambers of the heart - in essence, above (supra) the lower chamber (ventricular).

5. Giving or consisting of only the most important aspects of something, ignoring minor details; indefinite. [from 16th c.]
   • 1817, Walter Scott, Rob Roy, X:

     As she thus spoke, the entrance of the servants with dinner cut off all conversation but that of a general nature.

   • 2006, Kevin Nance, "Ghosts of the White City", Chicago Sun-Times, 16 Jul 06:

     The quick answer is that the 1893 Exposition was simply so important — "the greatest event in the history of the country since the Civil War," as Harper's put it that October — but that feels too general.

   • 2008, Robert P Maloney, "The Quiet Carpenter", America, volume 199:19, page 18:

     Given the scarcity of relevant historical detail in the New Testament, we are left with only a general outline about Joseph.

6. Not limited to a specific class; miscellaneous, concerned with all branches of a given subject or area. [from 16th c.]
   • 1941, W Somerset Maugham, Up at the Villa, Vintage 2004, page 24:

     There was a moment's pause. The Princess broke in with some casual remark and once more the conversation became general.

   • 1947, "Russian Catechism", Time, 20 Oct 1947:

     Already in the primary school work is conducted for the purpose of equipping the pupils with those elements of general knowledge which are closely related to the military preparation of future warriors.

   • 2007, Alan Cheuse, "A Little Death", Southern Review, volume 43:3, page 692:

     His measured, springless walk was the walk of the skilled countryman as distinct from the desultory shamble of the general labourer [...].

Noun

general (plural generals)

1. (now rare) A general fact or proposition; a generality. [from 16th c.]

   We have dealt with the generals; now let us turn to the particulars.

2. (military) A senior military title, originally designating the commander of an army and now a specific rank falling under field marshal (in the British army) and below general of the army or general of the air force in the US army and air forces. [from 16th c.]
3. A great strategist or tactician. [from 16th c.]

   Hannibal was one of the greatest generals of the ancient world.

4. (Christianity) The head of certain religious orders, especially Dominicans or Jesuits. [from 16th c.]
5. (nautical) A commander of naval forces; an admiral. [16th-18th c.]
6. (colloquial, now historical) A general servant; a maid with no specific duties. [from 19th c.]
   • 1918, Rebecca West, The Return of the Soldier, Virago 2014, page 16:

     She flung at us as we sat down, ‘My general is sister to your second housemaid.’

7. A general anaesthetic; general anaesthesia.
8. (insurance) The general insurance industry.

   I work in general.

Verb

general (third-person singular simple present generals, present participle generalling or generaling, simple past and past participle generalled or generaled)

1. to lead (soldiers) as a general

Anagrams

• enlarge, gleaner, reangle

Etymology

From Latin generālis.

Pronunciation

• (Balearic, Central) IPA^(key): /ʒə.nəˈɾal/
• (Valencian) IPA^(key): /d͡ʒe.neˈɾal/

Adjective

general (masculine and feminine plural generals)

1. general

Noun

general m (plural generals, feminine generala)

1. general

Noun

general c (singular definite generalen, plural indefinite generaler)

1. general

Adjective

general m (feminine singular generala, masculine plural generai, feminine plural generales)

1. general

Alternative forms

• generall, generale

Etymology

From a mixture of Anglo-Norman general, Middle French general, and Latin generālis.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /dʒɛnəˈraːl/, /ˈdʒɛnəral/

Adjective

general

1. universal, complete
2. comprehensive, wide-ranging
3. general, widely useable or applicable
4. common, widely present

Noun

general (plural generals)

1. genus, class, group

Noun

general m (definite singular generalen, indefinite plural generaler, definite plural generalene)

1. (military) a general

Noun

general m (definite singular generalen, indefinite plural generalar, definite plural generalane)

1. (military) a general

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin generālis.

Noun

general m (oblique plural generaus or generax or generals, nominative singular generaus or generax or generals, nominative plural general)

1. (military) general

Adjective

general m (oblique and nominative feminine singular generale)

1. general (not limited in use or application; applicable to the whole or every member of a class or category)

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin generālis. See also geral, from the same source.

Pronunciation

• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /ʒe.neˈɾaʊ̯/
• (Portugal) IPA^(key): /ʒɨ.nɨˈɾaɫ/
• Hyphenation: ge‧ne‧ral

Noun

general m (plural generais, feminine generala, feminine plural generalas)

1. general

Etymology

Borrowed from French général, from Latin generālis.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /d͡ʒe.neˈral/

Noun

general m (plural generali)

1. general

Adjective

general m, n (feminine singular generală, masculine plural generali, feminine and neuter plural generale)

1. general

Etymology

From German General, from Latin generālis.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ɡeněraːl/
• Hyphenation: ge‧ne‧ral

Noun

genèrāl m (Cyrillic spelling генѐра̄л)

1. (military) general

Etymology

From German General, from Latin generālis.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ɡɛnɛˈráːl/
• Tonal orthography: generȃl

Noun

generál m anim (genitive generála, nominative plural generáli, feminine generálica or generálinja)

1. (military) general

Etymology

From Latin generālis.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /xeneˈɾal/

Adjective

general (plural generales)

1. general

Noun

general m (plural generales, feminine generala, feminine plural generalas)

1. (military) general

Further reading

• “general” in Diccionario de la lengua española, Vigésima tercera edición, Real Academia Española, 2014.

Pronunciation

• Audio

  (file)

Noun

general c

1. a general; a military title^[1]
2. an Air Chief Marshal^[1]

References