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general

general

∞ 1.0
Not specific and including most people or cases
  • adjective
  • /ˈdʒɛnərəl/
: general
  • Semantic memories deal with things like memories of general knowledge.
  • general education
  • general public
  • general population

They're going to be general rules of just conduct.

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Examples

  • So how do we structure our middle school general music classes for future success?

    Academic text (2011)
  • So it's far, far more general than this little example shows.

  • It's also a sort of general approach to things.

  • Certainly, this is a concern for both the general and special education communities.

    Academic text (2013)
  • Within the limitations of this study, there are some general conclusions that can be made.

    Academic text (2011)
  • I'm just saying in general, this isn't fun.

  • Slight variations exist among practitioners, but there is general agreement on why and how PBL works.

    Academic text (2011)
  • According to Burke, proverbs and literature in general often contain strategies for dealing with situations.

    Academic text (2013)
  • The report provides a general overview of the project's success, highlighting key achievements and challenges.

  • In general, people prefer to spend their vacations in locations that offer both relaxation and entertainment.

Synonyms

common
vsgeneral
∞ 1.0

Happening often or seen in many places

is about being nonspecific or inclusive rather than frequency or ordinariness
overall
vsgeneral
891 3.1

Including all parts to give a general view

is about being not specific across many people or cases rather than all aspects
broad
vsgeneral
600 3.7

General and not detailed, covering many things

is about nonspecific inclusion of people or cases rather than range size
widespread
vsgeneral
232 3.6

Happening in many places or among many people

means nonspecific inclusion of cases rather than physical distribution
generic
vsgeneral
105 4.8

Typical of a whole group rather than a single person or thing

is about including most people or cases rather than describing group traits

Antonyms

∞ 3.9

Clearly defined and exact for a particular thing or person

907 2.5

Available only in small amounts or to a few people

88 5.4

Made for a particular job, activity, or area

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

How Widespread

universal
312 4.2
widespread
232 3.6
general
∞ 1.0
common
∞ 1.0
uncommon
126 4.6
rare
944 4.1

Surface Forms

general positive

Etymology

General comes from the Latin root genus, which means 'kind' or 'type'. When something is general it covers most people or things rather than one specific part, so it is not limited or special.