general

== English == === Alternative forms === General, gen., gen, Gen., Gen, genl, gen'l, Genl, Gen'l generall (obsolete) === 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 === (Received Pronunciation, General American, Canada) enPR: jĕnʹ(ə)rəl, IPA(key): /ˈd͡ʒɛn.(ə.)ɹəl/ (General Australian, New Zealand) IPA(key): /ˈd͡ʒen.(ə.)ɹəl/ Hyphenation: gene‧ral, (chiefly US) gen‧er‧al Rhymes: (US) -ɛnəɹəl === Adjective === general (comparative more general, superlative most general) Including or involving every part or member of a given or implied entity, whole, etc.; common to all, universal. [from 13th c.] Synonyms: common, universal; see also Thesaurus:generic Antonyms: specific, special, particular; see also Thesaurus:specific (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.] Prevalent or widespread among a given class or area; common, usual. [from 14th c.] Synonyms: typical, usual, common; see also Thesaurus:common Antonyms: abnormal, uncommon Not limited in use or application; applicable across a broad range. [from 14th c.] Synonyms: broad, generic; see also Thesaurus:generic Giving or consisting of only the most important aspects of something, ignoring minor details; indefinite. [from 16th c.] Not of a specific class; miscellaneous. [from 16th c.] ==== Translations ==== === Noun === general (countable and uncountable, plural generals) (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.] (now rare) A general fact or proposition; a generality. [from 16th c.] (Christianity) The head of certain religious orders, especially Dominicans or Jesuits. [from 16th c.] (xiangqi) The equivalent of a king in Chinese chess, the xiangqi piece that is confined to the palace, moves orthogonally one point at a time, and whose loss decides the game. (nautical, obsolete) Synonym of admiral, a senior naval title, a great naval strategist or tactician. [16th–18th c.] (colloquial, now historical) Short for general servant, a maid-of-all-work, a servant able to be assigned to any task in a household. [from 19th c.] (countable) Short for general election, a regular election for most offices in a region or country. (countable) Short for general anesthetic, a substance used to numb most feeling throughout the body. (uncountable) Short for general anesthesia, the category of substances used to numb most feeling throughout the body or an instance of such substances. (uncountable, insurance) Short for general insurance, the area of the insurance industry dealing with policies for the general public. ==== Hyponyms ==== (high-ranking military officer): brigadier general colonel general general of aviation general of the air force general of the army lieutenant general major general sergeant major general, sergeant-major general ==== Coordinate terms ==== (insurance industry): health, life, pensions ==== Derived terms ==== General Lagos ==== Translations ==== ==== See also ==== === Verb === general (third-person singular simple present generals, present participle (US) generaling or (UK) generalling, simple past and past participle (US) generaled or (UK) generalled) To lead (soldiers) as a general. === Adverb === general (not comparable) (obsolete) In a general or collective manner or sense; in most cases; upon the whole. ==== Derived terms ==== === Anagrams === enlarge, gleaner, reangle == Azerbaijani == === Alternative forms === yaranal (archaic) === Etymology === Ultimately from Latin generālis. === Pronunciation === IPA(key): [ɟeneˈrɑɫ] Hyphenation: ge‧ne‧ral === Noun === general (definite accusative generalı, plural generallar) general ==== Declension ==== === Further reading === “general” in Obastan.com. == Catalan == === Etymology === Borrowed from Latin generālis. === Pronunciation === IPA(key): (Northern, Balearic, Central) [ʒə.nəˈɾal] IPA(key): (Valencia) [d͡ʒe.neˈɾal] IPA(key): (Northwestern) [ʒe.neˈɾal] === Adjective === general m or f (masculine and feminine plural generals) general === Noun === general m (plural generals, feminine generala, feminine plural generales) (military) general ==== Derived terms ==== === Further reading === “general”, in Diccionari de la llengua catalana [Dictionary of the Catalan Language] (in Catalan), second edition, Institute of Catalan Studies [Catalan: Institut d'Estudis Catalans], April 2007 “general”, in Gran Diccionari de la Llengua Catalana, Grup Enciclopèdia Catalana, 2026 “general” in Diccionari normatiu valencià, Acadèmia Valenciana de la Llengua. Alcover, Antoni Maria; Moll, Francesc de Borja (1963), “general”, in Diccionari català-valencià-balear (in Catalan) == Danish == === Noun === general c (singular definite generalen, plural indefinite generaler) general ==== Inflection ==== == Ladin == === Adjective === general m (feminine singular generala, masculine plural generai, feminine plural generales) general == Middle English == === Alternative forms === generall, generale === Etymology === From a mixture of Anglo-Norman general, Middle French general, and Latin generālis. === Pronunciation === IPA(key): /ˌd͡ʒɛnəˈral/, /ˈd͡ʒɛnəral/ === Adjective === general universal, complete comprehensive, wide-ranging general, widely useable or applicable common, widely present ==== Derived terms ==== generally ==== Descendants ==== English: general Scots: general Yola: generale ==== References ==== “ǧenerāl, adj. & n.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007, retrieved 1 April 2018. === Noun === general (plural generals) genus, class, group ==== References ==== “ǧenerāl, adj. & n.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007, retrieved 1 April 2018. == Norwegian Bokmål == === Noun === general m (definite singular generalen, indefinite plural generaler, definite plural generalene) (military) a general ==== Derived terms ==== generalguvernør == Norwegian Nynorsk == === Noun === general m (definite singular generalen, indefinite plural generalar, definite plural generalane) (military) a general ==== Derived terms ==== generalguvernør == 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) (military) 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 ==== → English: general French: général == Portuguese == === Alternative forms === Gal., gal. (abbreviation) === Etymology === Learned borrowing from Latin generālis. Doublet of geral. === Pronunciation === Rhymes: (Portugal) -al, (Brazil) -aw Hyphenation: ge‧ne‧ral === Adjective === general m or f (plural generais) (military) general (said of the subcategory of armed forces officer with a rank above that of senior officer) (military) general (said of the military with this subcategory) (obsolete) general (including or involving every part or member of a given or implied entity, whole) === Noun === general m (plural generais) (military) general (highest rank in the category of Army and Air Force officers, whose insignia consists of four stars) (figuratively) chief, leader === Noun === general m or f by sense (plural generais) (military) general (officer holding that post) (military) general (designation common to military personnel holding the ranks of general, lieutenant general and major general) ==== Descendants ==== → Indonesian: jenderal → Tetum: jenerál === Further reading === “general”, in Dicionário Aulete Digital (in Portuguese), Rio de Janeiro: Lexikon Editora Digital, 2008–2026 “general”, in Dicionário infopédia da Lingua Portuguesa (in Portuguese), Porto: Porto Editora, 2003–2026 “general”, in Dicionário Priberam da Língua Portuguesa (in Portuguese), Lisbon: Priberam, 2008–2026 == Romanian == === Etymology === Borrowed from French général, from Latin generālis. === Pronunciation === IPA(key): /d͡ʒe.neˈral/ === Noun === general m (plural generali) general ==== Declension ==== === Adjective === general m or n (feminine singular generală, masculine plural generali, feminine/neuter plural generale) general ==== Declension ==== ==== Related terms ==== == Serbo-Croatian == === Etymology === Borrowed from German General, from Latin generālis. === Pronunciation === IPA(key): /ɡeněraːl/ Hyphenation: ge‧ne‧ral === Noun === genèrāl m anim (Cyrillic spelling генѐра̄л) (military) general ==== Declension ==== == Slovene == === Etymology === From German General, from Latin generālis. === Pronunciation === IPA(key): /ɡɛnɛráːl/ === Noun === generȃl m anim (female equivalent generȃlica or generȃlka) (military) general ==== Declension ==== === Further reading === “general”, in Slovarji Inštituta za slovenski jezik Frana Ramovša ZRC SAZU (in Slovene), 2014–2026 == Spanish == === Etymology === From Latin generālis. === Pronunciation === IPA(key): /xeneˈɾal/ [xe.neˈɾal] Rhymes: -al Syllabification: ge‧ne‧ral === Adjective === general m or f (masculine and feminine plural generales) general, overall ==== Derived terms ==== === Noun === general m (plural generales, feminine general or generala, feminine plural generales or generalas) (military) general === Noun === general f (plural generales) (informal, in the plural) general elections ==== Derived terms ==== ==== Descendants ==== → Cebuano: heneral → Tagalog: heneral === Further reading === “general”, in Diccionario de la lengua española [Dictionary of the Spanish Language] (in Spanish), online version 23.8.1, Royal Spanish Academy [Spanish: Real Academia Española], 15 December 2025 == Swedish == === Etymology === From German General, from Old French general, from Latin generālis. === Pronunciation === IPA(key): /jɛn(ɛ)ˈrɑːl/ === Noun === general c a general; a military title an Air Chief Marshal ==== Declension ==== ==== Descendants ==== → Finnish: kenraali === References === == Turkish == === Etymology === Internationalism. Ultimately from Latin generalis. === Pronunciation === IPA(key): /ɟe.neˈɾal/ Hyphenation: ge‧ne‧ral === Noun === general (definite accusative generali, plural generaller) general ==== Declension ==== ==== Derived terms ==== === Further reading === “general”, in Turkish dictionaries, Türk Dil Kurumu Ayverdi, İlhan (2010), “general”, in Misalli Büyük Türkçe Sözlük, a reviewed and expanded single-volume edition, Istanbul: Kubbealtı Neşriyatı Nişanyan, Sevan (2002–), “general”, in Nişanyan Sözlük