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general

general

1 8.9
The leader of a religious order who looks after many communities
  • noun
  • /ˈdʒɛnərəl/
  • Formal
: superior general

Examples

  • I want to speak to the general.

  • Interestingly enough, in fact, the general was the very first Christian leader to react publicly.

    Academic text (1991)
  • [Morgan] In 2000, Dr. David Satcher became the first surgeon general to draw attention to the obesity crisis, declaring it a national epidemic.

  • The general of the monastery led the morning prayers with great devotion.

  • During the meeting, the general of the religious order discussed new initiatives for community service.

  • Each member of the congregation respected the general's authority and followed his guidance.

Synonyms

religious leader
vsgeneral
48 3.4

A person who guides a group's religious beliefs and practices

is the specific top office for an entire order within that church
superior general
vsgeneral
  • Formal
1 9.6

The head of a religious group who leads the whole community

has identical meaning but is a shorter title for the same office

Idioms

576 1.6

Says something is true most of the time, not about small details

1 9.9

Something very good that most people do not appreciate or understand

High quality but not understood or liked by most people

Compounds

338 5.4

The chief lawyer for a country or state who represents the government in court

271 6.8

A top lawyer who represents the government in legal matters

A vote across a country to choose most members of the national government

111 3.0

A person who is in charge of all parts of a business or department

88 3.9

The main official who leads an international organisation like the United Nations

75 6.0

A senior official in government or the military who checks investigations and makes sure people follow rules

A group of representatives from every United Nations country where each country has one vote

37 6.9

A senior army officer who commands large groups of soldiers

28 5.1

A senior military doctor who leads medical services for the armed forces

lieutenant general
  • Specialized
24 6.6

A high military officer ranking above major general and below general

20 8.3

A lawyer who helps the attorney general and argues government cases in higher courts

brigadier general
  • Specialized
19 7.0

A senior military officer above colonel and below major general

19 2.1

A shop in a small town that sells many everyday things

general relativity
  • Specialized
17 6.7

A scientific theory that says gravity is the bending of space and time by heavy things like stars and planets

16 5.6

A senior United States doctor who tells the public how to avoid disease

A person who leads the United States Department of Justice and is the main lawyer for the federal government

general anesthesia
  • Specialized
10 3.9

A medicine that makes someone completely unconscious so they do not feel pain during major surgery

Useful for many different tasks and situations

general staff
  • Specialized
8 4.4

A group of senior officers who help a leader plan and run military operations

8 9.1

A senior military lawyer who gives legal advice to a branch of the armed forces

7 5.5

The official who runs a country's mail service

general practitioner
  • Specialized
7 2.7

A doctor who treats common illnesses and sends patients to specialists

general officer
  • Specialized
7 5.0

A senior military officer above colonel who commands large units

Facts many people know about different subjects

governor general
  • Australian
5 6.5

A person who represents the country's king or queen and does official jobs like signing laws

3 6.8

A scientific idea that says gravity happens because space and time bend

general anesthetic
  • Specialized
3 4.1

A drug that puts you to sleep and stops you feeling pain during an operation

The main lawyer for the United States government who leads the Department of Justice

The top lawyer in the United States government who leads the Department of Justice and enforces federal law

A US government office that buys goods and manages federal buildings and computer systems

general headquarters
  • Specialized
3 5.5

A central military office that controls and organizes all forces during operations

adjutant general
  • Specialized
3 9.5

A senior army officer who manages records and staff and helps the commander

2 8.6

The top US federal official who checks government spending and handles claims against it

A theory by Albert Einstein that explains gravity as the bending of space and time

An international agreement from 1947 to reduce taxes on imports and other trade barriers

general medicine
  • Specialized
1 3.4

Health care that finds and treats adults' diseases of the organs inside the body without surgery

1 4.9

A group of representatives who make and change laws for a state or organization

1 4.1

A post office service that holds mail for people to collect in person

1 8.1

Explains gravity as the bending of space and time by heavy objects

field general
  • Jargon
1 6.7

A player who leads and directs the team's play on the field, often the quarterback

1 9.6

The head of a religious group who leads the whole community

1 8.0

Money a court gives for pain, suffering, or loss of enjoyment of life

general ledger
  • Specialized
1 4.9

A main book where a business records all its financial accounts

general agent
  • Specialized
1 6.5

A person who can manage many business matters for another person

quartermaster general
  • Specialized
1 9.1

A senior army officer who supplies food, equipment, and transport to the whole army

A person in a Baptist church who believes people have free will and Jesus died for everyone

A sweet, spicy deep-fried chicken dish often served in Chinese-American restaurants

full general
  • Specialized
1 7.4

An army officer of the highest rank who commands large forces

1 7.2

A jury decision that says which side wins without giving facts

A meeting of representatives of the church, the nobles, and ordinary people in France before the French Revolution

general agent
  • Jargon
1 5.4

A person who sells insurance and manages company business in a region

general anatomy
  • Specialized
1 3.9

Study of the body structure of animals and humans

States General
  • Archaic
1 9.9

A national assembly of representatives who meet to make laws for a country, especially in the old Dutch Republic

general-purpose bomb
  • Specialized
1 4.4

A large explosive object that makes a strong blast and many flying pieces

An official exam taken by students in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland at about 16

general lien
  • Formal
9.6

A right to keep all of a person's property until they pay what they owe

9.9

A large area made of several provinces that a senior official leads with wide powers

A gas you breathe to make you sleep and not feel pain during surgery

paper general
  • Offensive
9.4

A person with a high title who has no real power

A Palestinian political group that uses armed attacks for its goals

Surface Forms

general singular
generals plural

Etymology

General comes from the Latin root genus, which means 'kind' or 'type'. The head of a religious order is called a general because they lead the whole group, not just one community.