as in unlimited
not limited or specialized in application or purpose
a general-purpose glue for routine household repairs
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Recent Examples of general-purpose
At the center of this movement is OpenAI, led by Sam Altman, whose generative AI models represent a general-purpose capability—comparable to the steam engine or electric motor—that can amplify nearly every form of knowledge work.
—
Phil Kafarakis, Forbes.com, 27 Jan. 2026
Fertilizer Fertilize regularly during spring and summer with a general-purpose houseplant fertilizer, and water as needed.
—Cori Sears, The Spruce, 14 Jan. 2026
But the systems that conquered chess and Go were purpose-built for those specific games, unlike general-purpose systems like Gemini, Claude, and ChatGPT.
—Tharin Pillay, Time, 13 Jan. 2026
The Express Lane project will also add one general-purpose lane in each direction along I-485 between Rea Road and Providence Road, officials said.
—Mark Price
january 6, Charlotte Observer, 6 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for general-purpose
Phil Kafarakis, Forbes.com, 27 Jan. 2026
Fertilizer Fertilize regularly during spring and summer with a general-purpose houseplant fertilizer, and water as needed.
—Cori Sears, The Spruce, 14 Jan. 2026
But the systems that conquered chess and Go were purpose-built for those specific games, unlike general-purpose systems like Gemini, Claude, and ChatGPT.
—Tharin Pillay, Time, 13 Jan. 2026
The Express Lane project will also add one general-purpose lane in each direction along I-485 between Rea Road and Providence Road, officials said.
—Mark Price
january 6, Charlotte Observer, 6 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for general-purpose
Recent Examples of Synonyms for general-purpose
Adjective
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Subscribe to read this story ad-free Get unlimited access to ad-free articles and exclusive content.—
Reuters,
NBC news,
15 Feb. 2026
-
Texas is the bastion of common sense, law and order, and the land of unlimited opportunity.—
Eleanor Dearman,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
14 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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Though framed as a request for information, Levine’s letter signals that Florida’s campaign against accrediting bodies — once focused on general university oversight — is expanding into medicine, one of the most tightly regulated sectors of higher education.—
Garrett Shanley,
Miami Herald,
13 Feb. 2026
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The second would be how friendly people are along King Drive in general.—
Kynala Phillips,
jsonline.com,
13 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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McMillian is going to command top-scale money, if not in the form of an extension this offseason, then a year from now as an impending unrestricted free agent.—
Parker Gabriel,
Denver Post,
15 Feb. 2026
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But with K’Lavon Chaisson an unrestricted free agent, the answer for where the Pats need the most help is edge rusher.—
The Athletic NFL Staff,
New York Times,
12 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“General-purpose.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/general-purpose. Accessed 18 Feb. 2026.
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