general 1 of 2

adjective

ˈjen-rəl How to pronounce general (audio)
Definition of generalnext
1
as in overall
belonging or relating to the whole a general increase in postage rates there's been a general improvement in the economy

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in broad
relating to the main elements and not to specific details gave the general impression of being kindhearted a general course of study in American history

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in prevailing
held by or applicable to a majority of the people it was the general opinion that the politician was a liar the general mood of the nation was one of hope and optimism

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in unlimited
not limited or specialized in application or purpose a new kitchen tool of general usefulness a general education

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

general

2 of 2

noun

as in executive

Related Words

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of general
Adjective
The Telly Awards has added 56 new categories in the microseries space, covering both general fields and for craft. — Michael Schneider, Variety, 13 Oct. 2026 There’s no shortage of hand-wringing over her general cohort. — Dan Adler, Vanity Fair, 13 Oct. 2026
Noun
According to the guidelines, the method is recommended to the secretary by the provost marshal general. — Meagan Harris, CBS News, 7 Oct. 2026 Attorneys general in Florida, Iowa, Montana, and Nebraska claim TP-Link never truly severed ties with its Chinese business in 2024 after relocating its global HQ to Irvine, California. — Michael Kan, PC Magazine, 7 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for general
Recent Examples of Synonyms for general
  1. overall
  2. broad
  3. prevailing
  4. unlimited
  5. executive
  6. generic
  7. public
  8. unrestricted
Adjective
  • Avoiding it in the first place makes far more sense, even if the K3's additional hardware and energy requirements complicate the question of its overall environmental footprint.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 17 Oct. 2026
  • The overall bargain, however, laid the foundation for what has become a highly successful deterrence, reassurance, and nonproliferation regime.
    — Ivo H. Daalder, Foreign Affairs, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of overall
Adjective
  • By contrast, long-term investing remains focused on owning productive assets, participating in economic growth and aligning investment decisions with broader financial objectives.
    — Aneri Jambusaria, Fortune, 18 Oct. 2026
  • Instead, Hugo says the case encompasses a much broader body of work stemming from compositions the two created during nearly 50 studio sessions between 2019 and 2021.
    — Nancy Dillon, Rolling Stone, 17 Oct. 2026
Definition of broad
Adjective
  • The group noted the projection was revised upward from an earlier estimate owing to an additional year in the budget window and higher prevailing interest rates.
    — Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 2 Apr. 2026
  • Likewise, prevailing concepts of Hamlet at the time cast the prince as a wan and melancholic, leading critics to bristle at Bernhardt’s energy.
    — Betsy Golden Kellem, JSTOR Daily, 18 Mar. 2026
Definition of prevailing
Adjective
  • Data is unlimited, so streaming and large downloads won’t hit a cap.
    — StackCommerce Team, PC Magazine, 12 Oct. 2026
  • Guests needn’t pay a fee to enter the Victoria Falls park area and have a special entrance for unlimited access.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of unlimited
Noun
  • Organizers have held discussions around allowing overseas executives to participate virtually, Reuters reported last week, and The Wall Street Journal said that some executives are already canceling meetings.
    — Liz Hoffman, semafor.com, 19 Oct. 2026
  • Williams, a Democrat, works as a nonprofit executive for the Tarrant Area Food Bank.
    — Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 18 Oct. 2026
Definition of executive
Adjective
  • And of course, when patents eventually expire, generic manufacturers can copy those discoveries and introduce them at much lower cost.
    — Dr. Bowman Heiden, Fortune, 10 Oct. 2026
  • For years, the city has primarily played the role of somewhere else — a cheaper Seattle, New York or generic American city.
    — Katherine Brodsky, Variety, 9 Oct. 2026
Definition of generic
Adjective
  • However, the bill would also preempt certain state requirements covering public risk disclosures, independent evaluations, and critical incident reporting.
    — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 17 Oct. 2026
  • In ten countries, interest payments eclipse the entire public investment budget.
    — Masood Ahmed, Fortune, 17 Oct. 2026
Definition of public
Adjective
  • Cunningham is headed toward unrestricted free agency after two seasons with Indiana.
    — Jackson Thompson OutKick, FOXNews.com, 10 Oct. 2026
  • Opening the show, model Dyanira Hurbuscher walked in a sheer look — a bra hinting at the boning seen in Edwardian-era corsetry, but completely softened and unrestricted (Gabrielle famously rejected the stiff fashion rules of her time).
    — Fiona Sinclair Scott, CNN Money, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of unrestricted

Phrases Containing general

Browse Nearby Words

generable
general
general assemblies
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“General.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/general. Accessed 19 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on general

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about general

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of fervid

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

16 Food Words Recently Added to the Dictionary

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Bad Endings and Rough Situations

Did 'orange' the fruit or the color come first?
See More

Popular

See More

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

16 Food Words Recently Added to the Dictionary

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
artwork of illustrated limes with the text limes and smile with an arrow connecting the two words
Quiz: Spot the Anagram! Scramble these words to find new words with the e...
See All