general-purpose

adjective

gen·​er·​al-pur·​pose ˈjen-rəl-ˈpər-pəs How to pronounce general-purpose (audio)
ˈje-nə-
Synonyms of general-purposenext
: suitable to be used for two or more basic purposes

Examples of general-purpose in a Sentence

a general-purpose glue for routine household repairs
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The collaboration between Ouster and FieldAI aims to accelerate the deployment of autonomous robots in some of the world’s most challenging industrial environments by combining advanced sensing hardware with general-purpose robot intelligence. Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 8 June 2026 When an accountant builds an AI workflow in a general-purpose tool, the logic lives in their session. Mike Whitmire, Forbes.com, 1 June 2026 This includes use of Amazon’s general-purpose Graviton processor chips that compete with Intel Corp.’s offerings. Bloomberg, Mercury News, 28 May 2026 Joseph Fuller, the Harvard Business School professor who co-founded the school’s Managing the Future of Work project, states that AI is not an information technology but a general-purpose technology. Aslesha Mehta, Fortune, 26 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for general-purpose

Word History

First Known Use

1894, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of general-purpose was in 1894

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Cite this Entry

“General-purpose.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/general-purpose. Accessed 10 Jun. 2026.

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