major general

noun

: a commissioned officer in the army, air force, or marine corps who ranks above a brigadier general and whose insignia is two stars

Examples of major general in a Sentence

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.
Iranian media and the Israeli military said Israel’s strikes on Thursday killed Iran’s top military officer, Mohammad Hossein Bagheri, as well as the commander of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards, Hossein Salami, and a major general in the Revolutionary Guards, Gholam Ali Rashid. Dan De Luce, NBC news, 14 June 2025 To address this, the Senate also promoted Caine to be a major general in the Air Force overnight. Jade Walker, CNN Money, 11 Apr. 2025 Following his award, Rogers remained in the military and retired as a major general in 1984. Fernando Cervantes Jr., USA TODAY, 17 Mar. 2025 Prosecutors said the group had a military-type structure, with judicial sources naming 101-year-old former army major general Radu Theodoru as a suspect. Reuters, CNN, 6 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for major general

Word History

Etymology

French major général, from major, noun + général, adjective, general

First Known Use

1633, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of major general was in 1633

Cite this Entry

“Major general.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/major%20general. Accessed 4 Jul. 2025.

Kids Definition

major general

noun
: a military commissioned officer with a rank just below that of lieutenant general

More from Merriam-Webster on major general

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