general
IPA: dʒˈɛnɝʌɫ
noun
- (military) The holder of 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.
- A great strategist or tactician.
- (now rare) A general fact or proposition; a generality.
- (Christianity) The head of certain religious orders, especially Dominicans or Jesuits.
- (nautical) A commander of naval forces; an admiral.
- (colloquial, now historical) A general servant; a maid with no specific duties.
- (countable) A general anesthetic.
- (uncountable) General anesthesia.
- (uncountable, insurance) The general insurance industry.
- (xiangqi) A xiangqi piece that is moved one point orthogonally and confined within the palace.
- (military) The military officer title.
- (informal, medicine) Short for General Hospital or X''' General Hospital (where X is a stand-in for another part of the name), a common hospital name.
verb
- To lead (soldiers) as a general.
adjective
- Including or involving every part or member of a given or implied entity, whole etc.; as opposed to specific or particular.
- (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.
- Prevalent or widespread among a given class or area; common, usual.
- Not limited in use or application; applicable across a broad range.
- Giving or consisting of only the most important aspects of something, ignoring minor details; indefinite.
- Not of a specific class; miscellaneous.
adverb
- (obsolete) In a general or collective manner or sense; in most cases; upon the whole.
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Examples of "general" in Sentences
- He read everything connected with general politics (meaning by _general_ not personal politics) and with social philosophy.
- "Well done, general in command of the flour (_general des farina_)," said the tremblers, admiring the military arrangements of Marshal Biron.
- After the stricture and soreness of the lungs are removed, and the general febrile action is suppressed, it is desirable to give a _general tonic treatment_.
- I repeat it, therefore, make it a principle in all cases, to aim as much as possible at the correction of those faults which are likely to be general, by _general measures_.
- In the assembly of the estates, therefore, held at Toledo, 1480, in spite of all opposition, it was determined to establish a tribunal, under the name of the general inquisition (_general inquisicion suprema_).
- Thus it only remains to treat in general of the question as to the reconcilableness of the idea of the origin of species through evolution, through gradual development, _in general_ with a theistic view of the world.
- A chief cause of delay in marriage is the prospect of the burden and expense of an unrestricted flow of children into the family, and in Great Britain, since 1911, with the extension of the use of contraceptives, there has been a slight but regular increase not only in the general marriage rate but in the proportion of early marriages, although the _general_ mean age at marriage has increased.
- It is impossible to recall without a shudder that there was at that time neither money nor credit, that the pressing debts were immense, the revenues exhausted in anticipation, the resources annihilated, the public securities valueless, the coinage impoverished and without circulation, the discount-fund bankrupt, the general tax-exchequer (_ferme general_) on the point of failing to meet its bills, and the royal treasury reduced to two bags of
- I would also recommend to you to read useful books when you have time and to acquire a competent knowledge of History, both Ancient and Modern, especially that of the country in whose service you are engaged, as also such books as treat of your profession; and to pay particular attention to the lives and actions of those who have distinguished themselves in its service, who you will find to have been in general as remarkable for their moral, as for their military characters; and I hope you will endeavour to imitate them and, tho 'you may not acquire the rank, you must remember that you cannot become a _good general_ or even a good officer without first acquiring a competent knowledge of your profession.
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