General meaning

What does “general” mean? Definitions, examples, synonyms and opposites.

“general” is a noun, verb and adjective with 10 meanings. Its most common meaning is: a general officer of the highest rank.

general

a general officer of the highest rank
Synonymsfull general
the head of a religious order or congregation
Synonymssuperior general
a fact about the whole (as opposed to particular)
“he discussed the general but neglected the particular”
Oppositesparticular specific

applying to all or most members of a category or group
“the general public”
“general assistance”
Oppositesspecific
not specialized or limited to one class of things
“general studies”
“general knowledge”
prevailing among and common to the general public
“the general discontent”
affecting the entire body
“a general anesthetic”
“general symptoms”
Oppositeslocal
somewhat indefinite
“bearing a general resemblance to the original”
“a general description of the merchandise”
of worldwide scope or applicability
“an issue of cosmopolitan import”
“the shrewdest political and ecumenical comment of our time”
Synonymscosmopolitan ecumenical oecumenical universal worldwide world-wide

Source: WordNet 3.1, Princeton University