general

gen|e|ral¹ W1S1 [ˈdʒenərəl] adj [usually before noun]

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1¦(not detailed)¦

2¦(relating to whole)¦

3¦(ordinary)¦

4¦(most people)¦

5¦(not limited)¦

6¦(approximate)¦

7¦(job)¦

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[Date: 1100-1200; : French; Origin: Latin generalis 'of the whole type', from genus; GENUS]

1.) ¦(NOT DETAILED)¦

describing or relating to only the main features or parts of something, not the details

▪ a general introduction to computing

▪ I skimmed through it to get a general impression of the text.

▪ I have a general idea of what I want to express.

▪ He spoke in general terms about greater competitiveness.

2.) ¦(RELATING TO WHOLE)¦

involving the whole of a situation, group, or thing, rather than specific parts of it

▪ There has been a general decline in standards.

▪ ways to improve your general health

3.) ¦(ORDINARY)¦

ordinary or usual

▪ general cooking and cleaning

▪ I hate paperwork as a general rule .

4.) ¦(MOST PEOPLE)¦

shared by or affecting most people, or most of the people in a group

▪ These courses are based around topics of general interest .

▪ How soon can the drug be made available for general use?

5.) ¦(NOT LIMITED)¦

not limited to one use, activity, subject etc

▪ The next ten minutes passed in general conversation.

▪ It's a good general fertilizer.

▪ Watford General Hospital

▪ This type of microphone is suitable for general use.

6.) ¦(APPROXIMATE)¦

used to talk about an approximate area or direction

▪ Pat and his friend were in the general area of the crime when it happened.

▪ They started walking in the general direction of the pub.

7.) ¦(JOB)¦

used in the name of a job to show that the person who does it has complete responsibility

▪ the general manager

▪ the Attorney General

→↑generally

general ²

general² n

[Date: 1500-1600; Origin: general officer]

1.)

an officer of very high rank in the army or air force

2.) in general

a) usually or in most situations

▪ In general, about 10% of the candidates are eventually offered positions.

b) used when talking about the whole of a situation, group, or thing, rather than specific parts of it

▪ a feeling of dissatisfaction with life in general

▪ These policies are unpopular with politicians and people in general.

▪ We're trying to raise awareness about the environment in general and air pollution in particular .