General Meaning

/ˈd͡ʒɛn.(ə.)ɹəl/
A1

Definition, CEFR level A1, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.

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adjIncluding or involving every part or member of a given or implied entity, whole, etc.; common to all, universal.

adjApplied to a person (as a postmodifier or a normal preceding adjective) to indicate supreme rank, in civil or military titles, and later in other terms; pre-eminent.

In general, little is known about nonlinear second order differential equations.
As soon as he graduated, he went to work in his father's general store.
The general manager announced the new holiday schedule today.
CEFR Practice Quiz
The highest-ranking officer, the ____, gave the order to attack.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
There is a ____ consensus among experts that the new environmental policy will be beneficial for the planet.

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *ǵenh₁- Proto-Indo-European *-os Proto-Indo-European *ǵénh₁os Proto-Italic *genos Latin genus, generis Proto-Indo-European *h₂el-der.? Proto-Italic *-ālis Latin -ālis Latin generālisbor. Anglo-Norman generalbor. Middle French generalbor. ▲ Latin generālisder. Middle English general English general From Middle English general, in turn from Anglo-Norman general, generall, Middle French general, and their source, Latin generālis, from genus (“class, kind”) + -ālis (“-al”).

"It is generall / To be mortall: / I haue well espyde / No man may hym hyde / From Deth holow eyed […]." — c. 1495, John Skelton, "Vppon a deedman's hed":
""Among us!" was the general shout, and Peppersorn sat frozen to his chair." — 1842, Douglas Jerrold, “Mr Peppersorn ‘At Home’”, in Cakes and Ale:
"That each, who seems a separate whole, Should move his rounds, and fusing all The skirts of self again, should fall Remerging in the general Soul, Is faith as vague as all unsweet: […]" — 1850, [Alfred, Lord Tennyson], “Canto XLVI”, in In Memoriam, London: Edward Moxon, […], →OCLC, page 69:
"Undoubtedly the age of the Antonines was much better than any later age until the Renaissance, from the point of view of the general happiness." — 1946, Bertrand Russell, “Stoicism”, in History of Western Philosophy, book 1, part 3:
"One advantage of having profitable companies in Britain is that they pay large sums in corporate tax into the Exchequer, which in theory at least is used for the general good." — 2006 October 15, Ruth Sutherland, “Invite public to the private equity party”, in The Observer:

Explore More A1 Vocabulary Words

CEFR Practice Quiz
The highest-ranking officer, the ____, gave the order to attack.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
There is a ____ consensus among experts that the new environmental policy will be beneficial for the planet.

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