Adjacent Words

General definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

GEN'ERAL, a. [L. generalis, from genus, a kind.]
1. Properly, relating to a whole genus or kind; and hence, relating to a whole class or order. Thus we speak of a general law of the animal or vegetable economy. This word, though from genus, kind, is used to express whatever is common to an order, class, kind, sort or species, or to any company or association of individuals.
2. Comprehending many species or individuals; not special or particular; as, it is not logical to draw a general inference or conclusion from a particular fact.
3. Lax in signification; not restrained or limited to a particular import; not specific; as a loose and general expression.
4. Public; common; relating to or comprehending the whole community; as the general interest or safety of a nation.
5. Common to many or the greatest number; as a general opinion; a general custom.
6. Not directed to a single object.
If the same thing be peculiarly evil, that general aversion will be turned into a particular hatred against it.
7. Having a relation to all; common to the whole. Adam, our general sire.
8. Extensive, though not universal; common; usual.
This word is prefixed or annexed to words, to express the extent of their application. Thus a general assembly is an assembly of a whole body, in fact or by representation. In Scotland, it is the whole church convened by its representatives. In America, a legislature is sometimes called a general assembly.
In logic, a general term is a term which is the sign of a general idea.
An attorney general, and a solicitor general, is an officer who conducts suits and prosecutions for the king or for a nation or state, and whose authority is general in the state or kingdom.
A vicar general has authority as vicar or substitute over a whole territory or jurisdiction.
An adjutant general assists the general of an army, distributes orders, receives returns, etc.
The word general thus annexed to a name of office, denotes chief or superior; as a commissary general, quarter-master general.
In the line, a general officer is one who commands an army, a division or a brigade.
GEN'ERAL, n. The whole; the total; that which comprehends all or the chief part; opposed to particular.
In particulars our knowledge begins, and so spreads itself by degrees to generals.
A history painter paints man in general.
1. In general, in the main; for the most part; not always or universally.
I have shown that he excels, in general,under each of these heads.
2. The chief commander of an army. But to distinguish this officer from other generals, he is often called general in chief. The officer second in rank is called lieutenant general.
3. The commander of a division of an army or militia, usually called a major general.
4. The commander of a brigade, called a brigadier general.
5. A particular beat of drum or march, being that which, in the morning, gives notice for the infantry to be in readiness to march.
6. The chief of an order of monks, or of all the houses or congregations established under the same rule.
7. The public; the interest of the whole; the vulgar. [Not in use.]

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

adj
1: applying to all or most members of a category or group; "the general public"; "general assistance"; "a general rule"; "in general terms"; "comprehensible to the general reader" [ant: specific]
2: not specialized or limited to one class of things; "general studies"; "general knowledge"
3: prevailing among and common to the general public; "the general discontent"
4: affecting the entire body; "a general anesthetic"; "general symptoms" [ant: local]
5: somewhat indefinite; "bearing a general resemblance to the original"; "a general description of the merchandise"
6: of worldwide scope or applicability; "an issue of cosmopolitan import"; "the shrewdest political and ecumenical comment of our time"- Christopher Morley; "universal experience" [syn: cosmopolitan, ecumenical, oecumenical, general, universal, worldwide, world- wide] n
1: a general officer of the highest rank [syn: general, full general]
2: the head of a religious order or congregation [syn: general, superior general]
3: a fact about the whole (as opposed to particular); "he discussed the general but neglected the particular" [ant: particular, specific] v
1: command as a general; "We are generaled by an incompetent!"

Merriam Webster's

I. adjective Etymology: Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Latin generalis, from gener-, genus kind, class — more at kin Date: 14th century 1. involving, applicable to, or affecting the whole 2. involving, relating to, or applicable to every member of a class, kind, or group <the general equation of a straight line> 3. not confined by specialization or careful limitation 4. belonging to the common nature of a group of like individuals ; generic 5. a. applicable to or characteristic of the majority of individuals involved ; prevalent b. concerned or dealing with universal rather than particular aspects 6. relating to, determined by, or concerned with main elements rather than limited details <bearing a general resemblance to the original> 7. holding superior rank or taking precedence over others similarly titled <the general manager> II. noun Date: 14th century 1. something (as a concept, principle, or statement) that involves or is applicable to the whole 2. superior general 3. archaic the general public ; people 4. a. general officer b. a commissioned officer in the army, air force, or marine corps who ranks above a lieutenant general and whose insignia is four stars — compare admiral

Oxford Reference Dictionary

adj. & n. --adj. 1 a completely or almost universal. b including or affecting all or nearly all parts or cases of things. 2 prevalent, widespread, usual. 3 not partial, particular, local, or sectional. 4 not limited in application; relating to whole classes or all cases. 5 including points common to the individuals of a class and neglecting the differences (a general term). 6 not restricted or specialized (general knowledge). 7 a roughly corresponding or adequate. b sufficient for practical purposes. 8 not detailed (a general resemblance; a general idea). 9 vague, indefinite (spoke only in general terms). 10 chief or principal; having overall authority (general manager; Secretary-General). --n. 1 a an army officer ranking next below Field Marshal or above lieutenant-general. b US = lieutenant-general, major-general. 2 a commander of an army. 3 a tactician or strategist of specified merit (a great general). 4 the head of a religious order, e.g. of the Jesuits or Dominicans or the Salvation Army. 5 (prec. by the) archaic the public. Phrases and idioms: as a general rule in most cases. General American a form of US speech not markedly dialectal or regional. General Certificate of Education 1 an examination set esp. for secondary-school pupils at advanced level in England and Wales. 2 the certificate gained by passing it. General Certificate of Secondary Education an examination replacing and combining the GCE ordinary level and CSE examinations. general delivery US the delivery of letters to callers at a post office. general election the election of representatives to a legislature (esp. in the UK to the House of Commons) from constituencies throughout the country. general headquarters the headquarters of a military commander. general meeting a meeting open to all the members of a society etc. general of the army (or air force) US the officer of the highest rank in the army or air force. general practice the work of a general practitioner. general practitioner a doctor working in the community and treating cases of all kinds in the first instance, as distinct from a consultant or specialist. general staff the staff assisting a military commander in planning and administration. general strike a strike of workers in all or most trades. General Synod the highest governing body in the Church of England. in general 1 as a normal rule; usually. 2 for the most part. Derivatives: generalness n. Etymology: ME f. OF f. L generalis (as GENUS)

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

General Gen"er*al, a. [F. g['e]n['e]ral, fr. L. generalis. See Genus.] 1. Relating to a genus or kind; pertaining to a whole class or order; as, a general law of animal or vegetable economy. 2. Comprehending many species or individuals; not special or particular; including all particulars; as, a general inference or conclusion. 3. Not restrained or limited to a precise import; not specific; vague; indefinite; lax in signification; as, a loose and general expression. 4. Common to many, or the greatest number; widely spread; prevalent; extensive, though not universal; as, a general opinion; a general custom. This general applause and cheerful shout Argue your wisdom and your love to Richard. --Shak. 5. Having a relation to all; common to the whole; as, Adam, our general sire. --Milton. 6. As a whole; in gross; for the most part. His general behavior vain, ridiculous. --Shak. 7. Usual; common, on most occasions; as, his general habit or method. Note: The word general, annexed to a name of office, usually denotes chief or superior; as, attorney-general; adjutant general; commissary general; quartermaster general; vicar-general, etc. General agent (Law), an agent whom a principal employs to transact all his business of a particular kind, or to act in his affairs generally. General assembly. See the Note under Assembly. General average, General Court. See under Average, Court. General court-martial (Mil.), the highest military and naval judicial tribunal. General dealer (Com.), a shopkeeper who deals in all articles in common use. General demurrer (Law), a demurrer which objects to a pleading in general terms, as insufficient, without specifying the defects. --Abbott. General epistle, a canonical epistle. General guides (Mil.), two sergeants (called the right, and the left, general guide) posted opposite the right and left flanks of an infantry battalion, to preserve accuracy in marching. --Farrow. General hospitals (Mil.), hospitals established to receive sick and wounded sent from the field hospitals. --Farrow. General issue (Law), an issue made by a general plea, which traverses the whole declaration or indictment at once, without offering any special matter to evade it. --Bouvier. --Burrill. General lien (Law), a right to detain a chattel, etc., until payment is made of any balance due on a general account. General officer (Mil.), any officer having a rank above that of colonel. General orders (Mil.), orders from headquarters published to the whole command. General practitioner, in the United States, one who practices medicine in all its branches without confining himself to any specialty; in England, one who practices both as physician and as surgeon. General ship, a ship not chartered or let to particular parties. General term (Logic), a term which is the sign of a general conception or notion. General verdict (Law), the ordinary comprehensive verdict in civil actions, ``for the plaintiff'' or ``for the defendant''. --Burrill. General warrant (Law), a warrant, now illegal, to apprehend suspected persons, without naming individuals. Syn: Syn. General, Common, Universal. Usage: Common denotes primarily that in which many share; and hence, that which is often met with. General is stronger, denoting that which pertains to a majority of the individuals which compose a genus, or whole. Universal, that which pertains to all without exception. To be able to read and write is so common an attainment in the United States, that we may pronounce it general, though by no means universal.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

General Gen"er*al, n. [F. g['e]n['e]ral. See General., a.] 1. The whole; the total; that which comprehends or relates to all, or the chief part; -- opposed to particular. In particulars our knowledge begins, and so spreads itself by degrees to generals. --Locke. 2. (Mil.) One of the chief military officers of a government or country; the commander of an army, of a body of men not less than a brigade. In European armies, the highest military rank next below field marshal. Note: In the United States the office of General of the Army has been created by temporary laws, and has been held only by Generals U. S. Grant, W. T. Sherman, and P. H. Sheridan.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

(generals) Frequency: The word is one of the 700 most common words in English. 1. A general is a high-ranking officer in the armed forces, usually in the army. The General's visit to Sarajevo is part of preparations for the deployment of extra troops. N-COUNT; N-TITLE; N-VOC 2. 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. ADJ: ADJ n • If you describe something in general terms, you describe it without giving details. She recounted in very general terms some of the events of recent months. PHRASE 3. You use general to describe several items or activities when there are too many of them or when they are 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. ADJ: ADJ n 4. 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. ADJ: ADJ n 5. 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. ADJ: ADJ n 6. 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. ADJ: ADJ n 7. see also generally 8. You use in general to indicate that you are talking about something as a whole, rather than about part of it. I think we need to improve our educational system in general... She had a confused idea of life in general. PHRASE: n PHR 9. You say in general to indicate that you are referring to most people or things in a particular group. People in general will support us... She enjoys a sterling reputation in law enforcement circles and among the community in general. PHRASE: n PHR 10. You say in general to indicate that a statement is true in most cases. In general, it was the better-educated voters who voted Yes in the referendum. = on the whole PHRASE: PHR with cl

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

I. a. 1. Universal, of the whole (genus, class, etc.), catholic, not partial, not special, not particular. 2. Ecumenical. 3. Common, usual, ordinary. 4. Vague, indefinite, lax, ill-defined, inexact, inaccurate. II. n. 1. Whole, total. 2. (Mil.) Commander-in-chief, generalissimo, captain-general. 3. (Mil.) General officer (brigadier, major-general, lieutenant-general).

Moby Thesaurus

ADC, Babbittish, CO, OD, Philistine, abstract, accepted, accustomed, across the board, aide, aide-de-camp, aleatoric, aleatory, all-inclusive, amorphous, approximate, ascendant, associated, assorted, at the head, bland, blanket, blended, blobby, blurred, blurry, boss, bourgeois, brigadier, brigadier general, broad, campy, captain, casual, catholic, chance, chancy, chaotic, chicken colonel, chief, chief of staff, civic, civil, collective, collectivistic, colonel, combined, commandant, commander, commander in chief, commanding, commanding officer, commissioned officer, common, commonplace, communal, communistic, community, commutual, company officer, composite, comprehensive, confused, conjoint, controlling, cooperative, cosmopolitan, customary, disordered, diversified, dominant, encyclopedic, everyday, exec, executive officer, extended, extensive, familiar, featureless, field marshal, field officer, first lieutenant, five-star general, foggy, four-star general, fuzzy, general officer, generalissimo, generalized, generic, global, governing, habitual, hazy, head, hegemonic, hegemonistic, heterogeneous, high-camp, hit-or-miss, homely, homespun, humdrum, hybrid, ill-defined, imprecise, imprudent, in ascendancy, in charge, in chief, in common, in the ascendant, inaccurate, inchoate, inclusive, incoherent, indecisive, indefinable, indefinite, indeterminable, indeterminate, indiscreet, indiscriminate, indiscriminative, indistinct, inexact, insensitive, international, jemadar, joint, junior officer, kitschy, lax, leading, lieutenant, lieutenant colonel, lieutenant general, loose, low-camp, major, major general, marechal, marshal, master, miscellaneous, mixed, mongrel, mutual, national, natural, naturalistic, naturistic, nebulous, neutral, nonjudgmental, nonspecific, normal, obscure, officer, one-star general, orderless, orderly, orderly officer, ordinary, overall, panoramic, paramount, plebeian, pop, popular, predominant, predominate, prepollent, preponderant, preponderate, prepotent, prevailing, prevalent, promiscuous, public, random, realistic, reciprocal, regnant, regular, regulating, regulative, regulatory, reigning, risaldar, routine, ruling, run-of-the-mill, senior officer, shadowed forth, shadowy, shapeless, shared, shavetail, sirdar, social, socialistic, societal, sovereign, staff officer, state, stochastic, subahdar, subaltern, sublieutenant, supranational, supreme, sweeping, tactless, the Old Man, the brass, three-star general, top brass, two-star general, typical, uncharacterized, unclear, uncritical, uncriticizing, undefined, undemanding, undestined, undetermined, undifferentiated, undifferentiating, undiscreet, undiscriminating, undiscriminative, uneventful, unexacting, unexceptional, unfastidious, universal, unmeticulous, unparticular, unplain, unrestricted, unselective, unspecific, unspecified, unsubtle, untactful, usual, vague, veiled, vernacular, vulgar, wholesale, wide, widespread, worldwide