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general

general

56 4.5
A broad idea that applies to a whole group rather than a single case
  • noun
  • /ˈdʒɛnərəl/
translation icon : generalización
  • 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

concept
vsgeneral
4.5

An idea you get after seeing many examples, like freedom

is a broad principle that applies to the whole class rather than individual cases
generalization
vsgeneral
  • US
43 5.3

A statement that applies to many people or situations

is an overall idea used for a whole group, not a single case
abstract
vsgeneral
16 8.0

A general idea not tied to a specific example

is a practical principle that applies across a group rather than single details
generality
vsgeneral
12 6.5

A broad statement that does not give specific details

is an overall principle applying to a whole class rather than to specifics
universal
vsgeneral
2 4.9

A trait or idea found across different cultures

is about ideas true across a class but not necessarily everywhere

Antonyms

43 4.6

A single fact or detail

Idioms

219 1.6

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

9.9

Something very good that most people do not appreciate or understand

High quality but not understood or liked by most people

Compounds

248 6.8

A top lawyer who represents the government in legal matters

166 5.4

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

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

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

97 6.0

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

92 3.9

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

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

16 2.1

A shop in a small town that sells many everyday things

14 5.6

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

11 8.3

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

general anesthesia
  • Specialized
10 3.9

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

general relativity
  • Specialized
9 6.7

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

general practitioner
  • Specialized
7 2.7

A doctor who treats common illnesses and sends patients to specialists

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

A senior army officer who commands large groups of soldiers

Useful for many different tasks and situations

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

brigadier general
  • Specialized
4 7.0

A senior military officer above colonel and below major general

4 4.9

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

general officer
  • Specialized
4 5.0

A senior military officer above colonel who commands large units

general staff
  • Specialized
3 4.4

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

general anesthetic
  • Specialized
3 4.1

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

3 6.8

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

Facts many people know about different subjects

lieutenant general
  • Specialized
3 6.6

A high military officer ranking above major general and below general

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

2 5.5

The official who runs a country's mail service

1 8.6

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

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

1 9.1

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

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

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

adjutant general
  • Specialized
1 9.5

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

field general
  • Jargon
1 6.7

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

1 4.1

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

governor general
  • Australian
1 6.5

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

1 8.0

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

1 5.1

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

general medicine
  • Specialized
1 3.4

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

quartermaster general
  • Specialized
1 9.1

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

1 9.6

The head of a religious group who leads the whole community

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

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

full general
  • Specialized
7.4

An army officer of the highest rank who commands large forces

general agent
  • Specialized
6.5

A person who can manage many business matters for another person

general agent
  • Jargon
5.4

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

general anatomy
  • Specialized
3.9

Study of the body structure of animals and humans

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

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

8.1

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

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

7.2

A jury decision that says which side wins without giving facts

general headquarters
  • Specialized
5.5

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

general ledger
  • Specialized
4.9

A main book where a business records all its financial accounts

general lien
  • Formal
9.6

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

general-purpose bomb
  • Specialized
4.4

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

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

How General

universal
439 4.2
broad
469 3.7
general
56 4.5
specific
3.9

Surface Forms

general singular
generals plural

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.