general
10
4.5
- noun
- /ˈdʒɛnərəl/
- The teacher explained the general principle that applies to all living things: survival of the fittest.
- general and the particular
- general to the specific
Examples
-
Poet Crane shares these general ideas with Wallace Stevens.
-
A lot of people believe that the general GRE means nothing.
-
There is thus not a single general cause of selection.
-
Boys reason from the general to the particular or from cause to effect.
Academic text (2008) -
But you should give a general yield of the whole thing.
-
That's it's a very general way of saying things.
-
Does phonasis give sort of general principles?
-
It's about ups and downs with the general trajectory being upward.
-
They see clarity in four general areas constantly.
-
Instead, I will plead for Darwin on two grounds: one general; the other personal.
Academic text (1991)
Synonyms
∞
4.5
An idea you get after seeing many examples, like freedom
43
5.3
A statement that applies to many people or situations
16
8.0
A general idea not tied to a specific example
13
6.5
A broad statement that does not give specific details
3
4.9
A trait or idea found across different cultures
Antonyms
Idioms
- Informal
1
9.9
Something very good that most people do not appreciate or understand
Compounds
- Formal
338
5.4
The chief lawyer for a country or state who represents the government in court
- Formal
88
3.9
The main official who leads an international organisation like the United Nations
- Formal
75
6.0
A senior official in government or the military who checks investigations and makes sure people follow rules
63
3.9
A group of representatives from every United Nations country where each country has one vote
- Formal
28
5.1
A senior military doctor who leads medical services for the armed forces
- Specialized
24
6.6
A high military officer ranking above major general and below general
- Formal
20
8.3
A lawyer who helps the attorney general and argues government cases in higher courts
- Specialized
19
7.0
A senior military officer above colonel and below major general
- Specialized
17
6.7
A scientific theory that says gravity is the bending of space and time by heavy things like stars and planets
- Formal
16
5.6
A senior United States doctor who tells the public how to avoid disease
15
4.8
A person who leads the United States Department of Justice and is the main lawyer for the federal government
- Specialized
10
3.9
A medicine that makes someone completely unconscious so they do not feel pain during major surgery
- Specialized
8
4.4
A group of senior officers who help a leader plan and run military operations
- Specialized
8
9.1
A senior military lawyer who gives legal advice to a branch of the armed forces
- Specialized
7
2.7
A doctor who treats common illnesses and sends patients to specialists
- Australian
5
6.5
A person who represents the country's king or queen and does official jobs like signing laws
- Specialized
3
6.8
A scientific idea that says gravity happens because space and time bend
- Specialized
3
4.1
A drug that puts you to sleep and stops you feeling pain during an operation
3
4.6
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
3
4.4
A US government office that buys goods and manages federal buildings and computer systems
- Specialized
3
5.5
A central military office that controls and organizes all forces during operations
- Specialized
3
9.5
A senior army officer who manages records and staff and helps the commander
- Formal
2
8.6
The top US federal official who checks government spending and handles claims against it
- Specialized
2
8.1
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
- Specialized
1
3.4
Health care that finds and treats adults' diseases of the organs inside the body without surgery
- Formal
1
4.9
A group of representatives who make and change laws for a state or organization
- Specialized
1
8.1
Explains gravity as the bending of space and time by heavy objects
- Jargon
1
6.7
A player who leads and directs the team's play on the field, often the quarterback
- Specialized
1
9.1
A senior army officer who supplies food, equipment, and transport to the whole army
1
7.3
A person in a Baptist church who believes people have free will and Jesus died for everyone
1
2.8
A sweet, spicy deep-fried chicken dish often served in Chinese-American restaurants
1
9.9
A meeting of representatives of the church, the nobles, and ordinary people in France before the French Revolution
- Archaic
1
9.9
A national assembly of representatives who meet to make laws for a country, especially in the old Dutch Republic
- 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
- Archaic
A large area made of several provinces that a senior official leads with wide powers
- Specialized
A gas you breathe to make you sleep and not feel pain during surgery
A Palestinian political group that uses armed attacks for its goals
How General
Surface Forms
Etymology
General comes from the Latin root genus, which means 'kind' or 'type', and is the same root you see in genre. A general idea is one that fits a whole class or group, not a single example, so it means an overall principle.