general
English
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
- Lua error in Module:parameters at line 360: Parameter 1 should be a valid language or etymology language code; the value "UK" is not valid. See WT:LOL and WT:LOL/E. IPA(key): /ˈd͡ʒɛnɹəl/
- Lua error in Module:parameters at line 360: Parameter 1 should be a valid language or etymology language code; the value "US" is not valid. See WT:LOL and WT:LOL/E. IPA(key): /ˈd͡ʒɛnəɹəl/
Audio (US): (file) - Hyphenation: gene‧ral, gen‧er‧al
Adjective
general (comparative more general, superlative most general)
- 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’”, in Cakes and Ale:
- "Among us!" was the general shout, and Peppersorn sat frozen to his chair.
- 1946, Bertrand Russell, “Stoicism”, in History of Western Philosophy, book 1, part 3:
- 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 October 15, Ruth Sutherland, “Invite public to the private equity party”, in The Observer:
- 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.
- (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 […] .
- Prevalent or widespread among a given class or area; common, usual. [from 14th c.]
- 1817, Sir Walter Scott, chapter IX, in Rob Roy:
- ‘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 December 20, John Patterson, “Home movies”, in The Guardian:
- 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.
- Not limited in use or application; applicable to the whole or every member of a class or category. [from 14th c.]
- 1924 March 17, Time:
- 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, number 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).
- Giving or consisting of only the most important aspects of something, ignoring minor details; indefinite. [from 16th c.]
- 1817, Sir Walter Scott, chapter X, in Rob Roy:
- As she thus spoke, the entrance of the servants with dinner cut off all conversation but that of a general nature.
- 2006 July 16, Kevin Nance, “Ghosts of the White City”, in Chicago Sun-Times:
- 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”, in America, volume 199, number 19, page 18:
- Given the scarcity of relevant historical detail in the New Testament, we are left with only a general outline about Joseph.
- 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, published 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 October 20, “Russian Catechism”, in Time:
- 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”, in Southern Review, volume 43, number 3, page 692:
- His measured, springless walk was the walk of the skilled countryman as distinct from the desultory shamble of the general labourer […] .
Synonyms
- (involving every part or member): broad, generic; see also Thesaurus:generic
- (prevalent or widespread): typical; see also Thesaurus:common
Antonyms
- (involving every part or member): particular, specific; see also Thesaurus:specific
- (prevalent or widespread): abnormal, uncommon
Derived terms
Related terms
Translations
|
|
|
|
|
- The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.
|
Noun
general (countable and uncountable, plural generals)
- (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.
- (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. [from 16th c.]
- A great strategist or tactician. [from 16th c.]
- Hannibal was one of the greatest generals of the ancient world.
- (Christianity) The head of certain religious orders, especially Dominicans or Jesuits. [from 16th c.]
- (nautical) A commander of naval forces; an admiral. [16th-18th c.]
- (colloquial, now historical) A general servant; a maid with no specific duties. [from 19th c.]
- Lua error in Module:quote at line 2600: |2= is an alias of |year=; cannot specify a value for both
- (countable) A general anesthetic.
- (uncountable) General anesthesia.
- (uncountable, insurance) The general insurance industry.
- I work in general.
Usage notes
When used as a title, it is always capitalized.
- Example: General John Doe.
The rank corresponds to pay grade O-10. Abbreviations: GEN.
Coordinate terms
Translations
|
- The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.
See also
Verb
general (third-person singular simple present generals, present participle generalling or generaling, simple past and past participle generalled or generaled)
Adverb
general (not comparable)
- (obsolete) In a general or collective manner or sense; in most cases; upon the whole.
Anagrams
Catalan
Etymology
Pronunciation
Adjective
general m or f (masculine and feminine plural generals)
Noun
general m (plural generals, feminine generala)
Derived terms
Further reading
- “general” in Diccionari de la llengua catalana, segona edició, Institut d’Estudis Catalans.
- “general”, in Gran Diccionari de la Llengua Catalana, Grup Enciclopèdia Catalana, 2024
- “general” in Diccionari normatiu valencià, Acadèmia Valenciana de la Llengua.
- “general” in Diccionari català-valencià-balear, Antoni Maria Alcover and Francesc de Borja Moll, 1962.
Danish
Noun
general c (singular definite generalen, plural indefinite generaler)
Inflection
common gender |
Singular | Plural | ||
---|---|---|---|---|
indefinite | definite | indefinite | definite | |
nominative | general | generalen | generaler | generalerne |
genitive | generals | generalens | generalers | generalernes |
Ladin
Adjective
general m (feminine singular generala, masculine plural generai, feminine plural generales)
Middle English
Alternative forms
Etymology
From a mixture of Anglo-Norman general, Middle French general, and Latin generālis.
Pronunciation
Adjective
general
- universal, complete
- comprehensive, wide-ranging
- general, widely useable or applicable
- common, widely present
Descendants
References
- “ǧenerāl, adj. & n.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007, retrieved 2018-04-01.
Noun
general (plural generals)
References
- “ǧenerāl, adj. & n.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007, retrieved 2018-04-01.
Norwegian Bokmål
Noun
general m (definite singular generalen, indefinite plural generaler, definite plural generalene)
Derived terms
Norwegian Nynorsk
Noun
general m (definite singular generalen, indefinite plural generalar, definite plural generalane)
Derived terms
Old French
Etymology
Borrowed from Latin generālis.
Noun
general oblique singular, m (oblique plural generaus or generax or generals, nominative singular generaus or generax or generals, nominative plural general)
Adjective
general m (oblique and nominative feminine singular generale)
- general (not limited in use or application; applicable to the whole or every member of a class or category)
Declension
Descendants
Portuguese
Etymology
Borrowed from Latin generālis. See also geral, from the same source.
Pronunciation
Noun
general m (plural generais, feminine generala, feminine plural generalas)
Descendants
- → Tetum: jenerál
Further reading
Romanian
Etymology
Borrowed from French général, from Latin generālis.
Pronunciation
Noun
general m (plural generali)
Declension
singular | plural | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
indefinite articulation | definite articulation | indefinite articulation | definite articulation | |
nominative/accusative | (un) general | generalul | (niște) generali | generalii |
genitive/dative | (unui) general | generalului | (unor) generali | generalilor |
vocative | generalule | generalilor |
Adjective
general m or n (feminine singular generală, masculine plural generali, feminine and neuter plural generale)
Declension
singular | plural | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
masculine | neuter | feminine | masculine | neuter | feminine | ||
nominative/ accusative |
indefinite | general | generală | generali | generale | ||
definite | generalul | generala | generalii | generalele | |||
genitive/ dative |
indefinite | general | generale | generali | generale | ||
definite | generalului | generalei | generalilor | generalelor |
Related terms
Serbo-Croatian
Etymology
From German General, from Latin generālis.
Pronunciation
Noun
genèrāl m (Cyrillic spelling генѐра̄л)
Declension
singular | plural | |
---|---|---|
nominative | genèrāl | generali |
genitive | generála | generala |
dative | generalu | generalima |
accusative | generala | generale |
vocative | generale | generali |
locative | generalu | generalima |
instrumental | generalom | generalima |
Slovene
Etymology
From German General, from Latin generālis.
Pronunciation
Noun
generȃl m anim (female equivalent generȃlica or generȃlka)
Inflection
Masculine anim., hard o-stem | |||
---|---|---|---|
nom. sing. | generál | ||
gen. sing. | generála | ||
singular | dual | plural | |
nominative (imenovȃlnik) |
generál | generála | generáli |
genitive (rodȋlnik) |
generála | generálov | generálov |
dative (dajȃlnik) |
generálu | generáloma | generálom |
accusative (tožȋlnik) |
generála | generála | generále |
locative (mẹ̑stnik) |
generálu | generálih | generálih |
instrumental (orọ̑dnik) |
generálom | generáloma | generáli |
Spanish
Etymology
Pronunciation
Adjective
general m or f (masculine and feminine plural generales)
Derived terms
Noun
general m (plural generales, feminine generala, feminine plural generalas)
Descendants
Further reading
- “general”, in Diccionario de la lengua española, Vigésima tercera edición, Real Academia Española, 2014
Swedish
Etymology
From German General, from Old French general, from Latin generālis.
Pronunciation
Noun
general c
- a general; a military title[1]
- an Air Chief Marshal[1]
Declension
Declension of general | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Singular | Plural | |||
Indefinite | Definite | Indefinite | Definite | |
Nominative | general | generalen | generaler | generalerna |
Genitive | generals | generalens | generalers | generalernas |
Descendants
- → Finnish: kenraali
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Utrikes namnbok (7th ed., 2007) →ISBN
- English terms derived from Proto-Indo-European
- English terms derived from the Proto-Indo-European root *ǵenh₁-
- English terms inherited from Middle English
- English terms derived from Middle English
- English terms derived from Anglo-Norman
- English terms derived from Middle French
- English terms derived from Latin
- English 2-syllable words
- English terms with IPA pronunciation
- English 3-syllable words
- English terms with audio links
- English lemmas
- English adjectives
- English terms with quotations
- English nouns
- English uncountable nouns
- English countable nouns
- English terms with rare senses
- English terms with usage examples
- en:Military ranks
- en:Christianity
- en:Nautical
- English colloquialisms
- English terms with historical senses
- en:Insurance
- English verbs
- English adverbs
- English uncomparable adverbs
- English terms with obsolete senses
- English adjectives commonly used as postmodifiers
- en:People
- en:Leaders
- Catalan terms derived from Latin
- Catalan terms with IPA pronunciation
- Catalan lemmas
- Catalan adjectives
- Catalan epicene adjectives
- Catalan nouns
- Catalan countable nouns
- Catalan masculine nouns
- ca:Military ranks
- Danish lemmas
- Danish nouns
- Danish common-gender nouns
- Ladin lemmas
- Ladin adjectives
- Middle English terms borrowed from Anglo-Norman
- Middle English terms derived from Anglo-Norman
- Middle English terms borrowed from Middle French
- Middle English terms derived from Middle French
- Middle English terms derived from Latin
- Middle English terms with IPA pronunciation
- Middle English lemmas
- Middle English adjectives
- Middle English nouns
- Norwegian Bokmål lemmas
- Norwegian Bokmål nouns
- Norwegian Bokmål masculine nouns
- nb:Military ranks
- Norwegian Nynorsk terms derived from Proto-Indo-European
- Norwegian Nynorsk terms derived from the Proto-Indo-European root *ǵenh₁-
- Norwegian Nynorsk lemmas
- Norwegian Nynorsk nouns
- Norwegian Nynorsk masculine nouns
- nn:Military ranks
- Old French terms borrowed from Latin
- Old French terms derived from Latin
- Old French lemmas
- Old French nouns
- Old French masculine nouns
- fro:Military ranks
- Old French adjectives
- Portuguese terms borrowed from Latin
- Portuguese terms derived from Latin
- Portuguese 3-syllable words
- Portuguese terms with IPA pronunciation
- Portuguese 4-syllable words
- Rhymes:Portuguese/al
- Rhymes:Portuguese/aw
- Portuguese lemmas
- Portuguese nouns
- Portuguese countable nouns
- Portuguese masculine nouns
- pt:Military ranks
- Romanian terms borrowed from French
- Romanian terms derived from French
- Romanian terms derived from Latin
- Romanian terms with IPA pronunciation
- Romanian lemmas
- Romanian nouns
- Romanian countable nouns
- Romanian masculine nouns
- Romanian adjectives
- Serbo-Croatian terms borrowed from German
- Serbo-Croatian terms derived from German
- Serbo-Croatian terms derived from Latin
- Serbo-Croatian terms with IPA pronunciation
- Serbo-Croatian lemmas
- Serbo-Croatian nouns
- Serbo-Croatian masculine nouns
- sh:Military ranks
- Slovene terms borrowed from German
- Slovene terms derived from German
- Slovene terms derived from Latin
- Slovene 3-syllable words
- Slovene terms with IPA pronunciation
- Slovene lemmas
- Slovene nouns
- Slovene masculine animate nouns
- Slovene masculine nouns
- Slovene animate nouns
- sl:Military ranks
- Slovene masculine hard o-stem nouns
- Spanish terms derived from Latin
- Spanish 3-syllable words
- Spanish terms with IPA pronunciation
- Spanish lemmas
- Spanish adjectives
- Spanish epicene adjectives
- Spanish nouns
- Spanish countable nouns
- Spanish masculine nouns
- es:Military ranks
- Swedish terms borrowed from German
- Swedish terms derived from German
- Swedish terms derived from Old French
- Swedish terms derived from Latin
- Swedish terms with IPA pronunciation
- Swedish terms with audio links
- Swedish lemmas
- Swedish nouns
- Swedish common-gender nouns
- sv:Military
- sv:Occupations