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”); thus morphologically parallel with, and a doublet of, generic. === Pronunciation === (Received Pronunciation, General American, Canada) enPR: jĕnʹ(ə)rəl, IPA(key): /ˈd͡ʒɛn.(ə.)ɹəl/ (General Australian, New Zealand) IPA(key): /ˈd͡ʒen.(ə.)ɹəl/ (Indic) IPA(key): /ˈdʒɛn(ɖ)rəl/, /ˈdʒɛnərəl/ Hyphenation: gene‧ral, (chiefly US) gen‧er‧al, (Indic), gen‧e‧ral 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.] (nautical) A commander of naval forces; an admiral. [16th–18th c.] (colloquial, now historical) A general servant; a maid-of-all-work. [from 19th c.] (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. ==== Usage notes ==== When used as a title, it is always capitalized, as in “General John Doe”. ==== 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): (Central, Balearic) [ʒə.nəˈɾal] IPA(key): (Valencia) [d͡ʒe.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. “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) 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