general

It is generall / To be mortall: / I haue well espyde / No man may hym hyde / From Deth holow eyed […].

c. 1495, John Skelton, "Vppon a deedman's hed":

"Among us!" was the general shout, and Peppersorn sat frozen to his chair.

1842, Douglas Jerrold, “Mr Peppersorn ‘At Home’”, in Cakes and Ale:

That each, who seems a separate whole,
Should move his rounds, and fusing all
The skirts of self again, should fall
Remerging in the general Soul,
Is faith as vague as all unsweet: […]

1850, [Alfred, Lord Tennyson], In Memoriam, London: Edward Moxon, […], →OCLC, Canto XLVI, page 69:

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.

1946, Bertrand Russell, “Stoicism”, in History of Western Philosophy, book 1, part 3:

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.

2006 October 15, Ruth Sutherland, “Invite public to the private equity party”, in The Observer:

Including or involving every part or member of a given or implied entity, whole, etc.; common to all, universal.

For these successes he obtained the rank of Field-Marshal General.

1865, Edward Cust, Lives of the Warriors of the Thirty Years War, page 527:

He becomes the chief chartered libertine, the whoremaster-general flourishing his "standard" over a female army […].

2002, James Turner, Libertines and Radicals in Early Modern London, page 122:

(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.

‘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 […].’

1817, Sir Walter Scott, chapter IX, in Rob Roy:

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.

2008 December 20, John Patterson, “Home movies”, in The Guardian:

Prevalent or widespread among a given class or area; common, usual.

M. Venizelos went to Athens from Paris early last January in response to a general invitation from the Greek populace.

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.

1947 October 20, “Russian Catechism”, in Time:

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).

2009, Douglas P. Zipes, Saturday Evening Post, volume 281, number 1, page 20:

Not limited in use or application; applicable across a broad range.

As she thus spoke, the entrance of the servants with dinner cut off all conversation but that of a general nature.

1817, Sir Walter Scott, chapter X, in Rob Roy:

There was a moment's pause. The Princess broke in with some casual remark and once more the conversation became general.

1941, W Somerset Maugham, Up at the Villa, Vintage, published 2004, page 24:

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.

2006 July 16, Kevin Nance, “Ghosts of the White City”, in Chicago Sun-Times:

Given the scarcity of relevant historical detail in the New Testament, we are left with only a general outline about Joseph.

2008, Robert P. Maloney, “The Quiet Carpenter”, in America, volume 199, number 19, page 18:

Giving or consisting of only the most important aspects of something, ignoring minor details; indefinite.

general goods

His measured, springless walk was the walk of the skilled countryman as distinct from the desultory shamble of the general labourer […].

2007, Alan Cheuse, “A Little Death”, in Southern Review, volume 43, number 3, page 692:

en-adj

general (comparative more general, superlative most general)

more general (comparative)
most general (superlative)

përgjithshëm

involving every part or member, not specific or particular

عُمُومِيّ

not limited in application; applicable to a whole class or category

гла́вен

consisting of only the most important aspects; indefinite

дөйөм

miscellaneous, not limited to a specific class

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.


general

general of the air force
general of the air force

(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.

Hannibal was one of the greatest generals of the ancient world.

We have dealt with the generals; now let us turn to the particulars.

(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.

My general is sister to your second housemaid.

1918 March, Rebecca West [pseudonym; Cicily Isabel Fairfield], chapter I, in The Return of the Soldier, 1st US edition, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., →OCLC, page 18:

(colloquial, now historical) A general servant; a maid with no specific duties.

I work in general.

(uncountable, insurance) The general insurance industry.

(xiangqi) A xiangqi piece that is moved one point orthogonally and confined within the palace.

en-noun

general (countable and uncountable, plural generals)


general

en-verb

general (third-person singular simple present generals, present participle generalling or generaling, simple past and past participle generalled or generaled)

generals (present singular third-person)
generalling (participle present)
generaling (participle present)
generalled (participle past)
generalled (past)
generaled (participle past)
generaled (past)


general

(obsolete) In a general or collective manner or sense; in most cases; upon the whole.