general
Noun pluralgenerals
Pluralgenerals
- 1Involving, affecting, or shared by all or most members of a group or area; widespread.
A general strike shut down transport across the entire country.
After the government collapsed, a general election was called for early June.
UsageCommon in fixed pairs: general election, general strike, the general public, general agreement.
Similarwidespread, universal, common
Oppositelocal, partial, limited
Note
John Skelton, in verse written in the late 1490s and printed around 1527, says it is 'generall / To be mortall', death as the one thing everyone shares.
- 2A very senior army, air force, or marine officer, ranking above lieutenant general but below field marshal in the British army and below general of the army or air force in US forces.
The general briefed the cabinet on the situation at the border.
After the campaign, he was promoted to general and given a new command.
UsageCapitalize it before a name, as in General Grant, but write the general in ordinary reference.
Note
A role that hardened into a grade: the word first named whoever commanded an army and now names one fixed rank on a ladder. In the British army it sits under field marshal. In the US forces the higher titles reuse the word itself: general of the army and general of the air force.
Checked 2 Nov 2026 · 4 facts
- The military title originated as a designation for the commander of an army. en.wikipedia.org
- General is a specific British Army rank below field marshal. en.wikipedia.org
- General of the Army is a US rank above general. en.wikipedia.org
- General of the Air Force is a US rank above general. en.wikipedia.org
- 3Not specialized or limited to one subject, use, or category; covering a broad or mixed range.
The course offers a general grounding that prepares students for several fields.
This is a general framework, so you can adapt it to many projects.
Oppositespecialized, specific, particular
- 4Covering only the most important aspects of something while ignoring minor details; not exact.
The report gives a general picture of the economy without breaking down each sector.
Keep your summary general, since the committee wants the overall shape rather than specifics.
UsageCommon in a general idea of something and in general terms.
Similarbroad, rough, overall, approximate, loose
- 5Indicating supreme or pre-eminent rank, used in civil and military titles and often placed after the noun, as in 'attorney general'.
The governor general represented the Crown at the opening ceremony.
After years abroad, she was named consul general in a busy port city.
UsageThe plural usually goes on the first word: attorneys general, consuls general, though attorney generals also occurs.
Note
Placed after the noun, it marks the holder as supreme in that office rather than describing the office as broad. The pattern is productive enough to be turned to satire. James Turner writes of a libertine as 'the whoremaster-general', and in that phrase a hyphen joins the pair.
Less common meanings
- 6A general anesthetic, or the state of complete unconsciousness it produces during surgery.
For a procedure that long, the team opted for a general rather than sedation.
He woke slowly as the general wore off in the recovery room.
UsageSomeone is given a general, or has surgery under general; for general readers, general anesthetic is clearer.
Oppositelocal
- 7Someone recognized as a great strategist or skilled tactician.
A gifted general in the boardroom, she always seemed to know her rivals' next move.
The quarterback was the team's general, reading the defense and calling every play.
Similarstrategist, tactician, mastermind
- 8The head of certain religious orders, especially the Jesuits or Dominicans.
The Jesuit general convened the congregation of senior members in Rome.
The friars gathered in Rome to elect a new general for their order.
Note
The same word that ranks soldiers also ranks churchmen: the head of the Jesuits or the Dominicans governs the whole order, not a single house. The Jesuit title is superior general, with general following its noun as it does in the title-making adjective.
Checked 2 Nov 2026 · 2 facts
- The Jesuit head governs the whole order. documenta.jesuits.global
- The Dominican head governs the whole order, with local houses having their own superiors. english.op.org
- 9A single domestic servant who performs all the household work; a maid-of-all-work.
My general is sister to your second housemaid.
1918, Rebecca West [pseudonym; Cicily Isabel Fairfield], The Return of the SoldierThen the servants left and there was only one, a General. A great deal of your comfort and happiness depends on having a good General.
1899, E. Nesbit, The Story of the Treasure SeekersSimilarmaid, servant, domestic
Note
Household slang for the servant who did everything: in a home with only one servant, that servant was the general. E. Nesbit's The Story of the Treasure Seekers (1899) capitalizes it as 'a good General'.
Checked 2 Nov 2026 · 4 facts
- A general was a domestic servant responsible for all kinds of household work. en.wiktionary.org
- A household's sole servant could be called the general. en.wikisource.org
- E. Nesbit wrote The Story of the Treasure Seekers, first published in 1899. archive.org
- Nesbit's text capitalizes General in the quoted phrase. en.wikisource.org
- 10A broad fact or proposition stated in general terms; a generality.
Note
An archaic noun, now rare, that survives mostly in a pairing: generals set against particulars, the broad propositions an argument starts from and the cases it turns to. Today generalities or general principles do the same work.
Checked 2 Nov 2026 · 2 facts
- General has a noun sense meaning a broad fact or proposition. en.wiktionary.org
- Generals and particulars are historically contrasted in discussions of reasoning. gutenberg.org
- 11Usually, overall, or with reference to people or things collectively.
- 12To lead soldiers as a general; to command troops in the field.
- 13The commanding officer of a fleet; an admiral.
- 14The branch of insurance dealing with non-life coverage, such as auto, home, and travel policies, considered as a single industry.
- 15In xiangqi (Chinese chess), the piece that moves one point orthogonally and stays confined within the palace.
Showing meanings only.
Practice
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Origin
From Middle English general, borrowed via Anglo-Norman and Middle French general from Latin generālis, which comes from genus ("class, kind") plus the suffix -ālis. It is a doublet of generic.
Checked 31 Oct 2026 · 5 facts
- English general comes from Middle English general. en.wiktionary.org
- The word was borrowed through Anglo-Norman and Middle French from Latin generālis. en.wiktionary.org
- Latin generālis is formed from genus and the suffix -ālis. en.wiktionary.org
- Latin genus means class or kind. en.wiktionary.org
- General and generic are etymological doublets. en.wikipedia.org