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   Gen·er·al

   /ˈjen(ə)rəl/

   

   adjective

   • 1. affecting or concerning all or most people, places, or things; widespread: "books of general interest" Similar widespreadcommonextensiveuniversalwidepopularpublicmainstreamprevalentprevailingrifeestablishedwell establishedconventionaltraditionaltraditionalistorthodoxacceptedin circulationin forcein voguecomprehensiveoverallacross the boardblanketumbrellamasstotalcompletewholesalesweepingpanoramicbroadbroad-rangingextendedinclusiveall-inclusiveall-aroundgenericoutrightencyclopedicindiscriminatecatholicuniversalglobalworldwideinternationalnationwidecountrywidecoast-to-coastcompany-wideOpposite restrictedlocalized
   • ▪ not specialized or limited in range of subject, application, activity, etc.: "brush up on your general knowledge" Similar miscellaneousmixedassortedvariegateddiversifiedcompositeheterogeneousOpposite specialist
   • ▪ (of a rule, principle, etc.) true for all or most cases.
   • ▪ normal or usual: "it is not general practice to confirm or deny such reports" Similar usualcustomaryhabitualtraditionalnormalconventionaltypicalstandardregularfamiliaracceptedprevailingroutinerun-of-the-millfixedsetestablishedconfirmedeverydayordinarycommonstockwell worntime-honoredpopularfavoriteOpposite exceptional
   • 2. considering or including the main features or elements of something, and disregarding exceptions; overall: "a general introduction to the subject" Similar broadimpreciseinexactroughsweepingoverallloosebasicapproximatenonspecificunspecificvaguehazyfuzzywoollyill-definedindefiniteunfocusedinformal:ballparkrare:undetailedOpposite detailed
   • 3. chief or principal: "a general manager"

   noun

   • 1. a commander of an army, or an army officer of very high rank.
   • ▪ an officer in the US Army, Air Force, or Marine Corps ranking above lieutenant general.
   • ▪ the head of a religious order organized on quasi-military lines, e.g. the Jesuits, the Dominicans, or the Salvation Army.
   • 2. the general public. archaic

   Word Origin Middle English: via Old French from Latin generalis, from genus, gener- ‘class, race, kind’. The noun primarily denotes a person having overall authority: the sense ‘army commander’ is an abbreviation of captain general, from French capitaine général ‘commander-in-chief’.

   Scrabble Points: 8

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   • E

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   • N

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   • E

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   • R

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   • A

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   • L

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