General

adjective
1.
of or relating to all persons or things belonging to a group or category:
a general meeting of the employees.
2.
of, relating to, or true of such persons or things in the main, with possible exceptions; common to most; prevalent; usual:
the general mood of the people.
3.
not limited to one class, field, product, service, etc.; miscellaneous:
the general public; general science.
4.
considering or dealing with overall characteristics, universal aspects, or important elements, especially without considering all details or specific aspects:
general instructions; a general description; a general resemblance one to another.
5.
not specific or definite:
I could give them only a general idea of what was going on.
6.
(of anesthesia or an anesthetic) causing loss of consciousness and abolishing sensitivity to pain throughout the body.
7.
having extended command or superior or chief rank:
the secretary general of the United Nations; the attorney general.
noun
8.
Military.

U.S. Army and Air Force. an officer ranking above a lieutenant general and below a general of the army or general of the air force.
U.S. Army. an officer of any of the five highest ranks: a brigadier general, major general, lieutenant general, general, or general of the army.
U.S. Marine Corps. an officer holding the highest rank in the corps.
(in numerous armies) an officer in the highest, second, or third highest rank, as one ranking immediately below a field marshal in the British army.

9.
Ecclesiastical. the chief official of a religious order.
10.
something that is general; generality.
11.
Archaic. the general public.
Idioms
12.
in general,

with respect to the whole class referred to; as a whole:
He likes people in general.
as a rule; usually:
In general, the bus is here by 9 a.m.

noun
1.
a diminutive hero of folk tales.
2.
an extremely small person; dwarf.
3.
General, nickname of Charles Sherwood Stratton.
adjective
1.
common; widespread: a general feeling of horror at the crime
2.
of, including, applying to, or participated in by all or most of the members of a group, category, or community
3.
relating to various branches of an activity, profession, etc; not specialized: general office work
4.
including various or miscellaneous items: general knowledge, a general store
5.
not specific as to detail; overall: a general description of the merchandise
6.
not definite; vague: give me a general idea of when you will finish
7.
applicable or true in most cases; usual
8.
(prenominal or immediately postpositive) having superior or extended authority or rank: general manager, consul general
9.
Also pass. designating a degree awarded at some universities, studied at a lower academic standard than an honours degree See honours (sense 2)
10.
(med) relating to or involving the entire body or many of its parts; systemic
11.
(logic) (of a statement) not specifying an individual subject but quantifying over a domain
noun
12.
an officer of a rank senior to lieutenant general, esp one who commands a large military formation
13.
any person acting as a leader and applying strategy or tactics
14.
a general condition or principle: opposed to particular
15.
a title for the head of a religious order, congregation, etc
16.
(med) short for general anaesthetic
17.
(archaic) the people; public
18.
in general, generally; mostly or usually
noun
1.
General, stage name of Charles Stratton. 1838–83, US midget, exhibited in P. T. Barnum’s circus
2.
a dwarf; midget

Tom Thumb definition

A thumb-sized hero of children’s stories from the sixteenth century on.
general

Related Terms

armchair general, buck general
see:

in general
on (general) principle