general
general — noun
1. a very senior military officer who commands large numbers of troops and holds on
a very senior military officer who commands large numbers of troops and holds one of the highest ranks in the army or similar armed force.
General Trang inspected the new recruits at the training base this morning.
title before name: General + [surname]
The general ordered his troops to retreat before the approaching storm.
the + general as subject
After twenty-five years of service, Caio was finally promoted to general.
Selim met with two generals at the Pentagon to discuss the new military strategy.
A letter signed by the general arrived at the village post office yesterday.
- commander
less specific; can refer to any person in charge of a military unit, not necessarily of the highest rank
- chief of staff
a specific senior advisory role, not a rank like general
- field marshal
ranks above general in some armies; less common and more prestigious
- private
the lowest military rank, opposite in hierarchy
文法句型
the + general
General + [surname]
rank of + general
用法筆記
Frequently used as a title directly before a surname (General Trang, General Okafor). As a rank, it is often paired with a branch: general in the army, general in the air force.
常見錯誤
2. a broad statement or idea that applies to many situations rather than to one spe
a broad statement or idea that applies to many situations rather than to one specific case; the opposite of a particular detail.
The teacher asked students to move from the general to the particular in their essays.
from the general to the particular — set phrase
Jin prefers to discuss the general before getting into the small details of the plan.
Tamar's lecture stayed at the level of the general and offered few concrete examples.
The textbook discussed the general in detail before moving to specific cases.
- generalization
more common and neutral; a statement based on limited examples
- principle
broader; a fundamental truth or rule
- abstraction
emphasises the non-concrete nature; more technical
- specific
a particular detail or instance
- particular
a single case or example
文法句型
the + general
from the general to the specific/particular
in general
用法筆記
This sense is overwhelmingly used in fixed expressions such as 'in general' (as an adverb), 'from the general to the specific,' and 'the general' as a noun phrase. It rarely appears as a standalone countable noun with an article outside academic or formal writing.
常見錯誤
3. the highest leader of a Christian religious community, such as a group of monks,
the highest leader of a Christian religious community, such as a group of monks, nuns, or friars, who governs all its members worldwide.
The General of the Franciscan order visited the monastery in Taipei last autumn.
the General of [order] — standard title construction
Sister Anya was elected general of her congregation after teaching for two decades.
The general addressed all members of the religious community during the annual conference.
A letter from the general was sent to every convent across East Asia.
文法句型
the General of [religious order]
General + of + [order]
用法筆記
Often used with a capital G in official titles (the General of the Jesuits). The full official title is usually 'Superior General.' This sense is distinct from sense 1 (military) — context (religious order names, terms like 'convent,' 'friars') signals the meaning.
常見錯誤
general — adjective
1. covering or concerning a very broad range of individuals, objects, or locations,
covering or concerning a very broad range of individuals, objects, or locations, as opposed to only a narrow or select group.
The general public showed strong support for the new public library in Tariq's neighbourhood.
attributive: general public = ordinary people in a society
There is a general feeling among staff that working hours should be more flexible.
A general election will take place in June, and all citizens over eighteen can vote.
The new rules cover general workplace safety and apply to every department.
- widespread
focuses on geographical or numerical spread; more factual than 'general'
- universal
implies every single person or thing, not just most; stronger than 'general'
- common
less formal; suggests something shared by many but not necessarily all
- specific
limited to a particular group or situation
- particular
emphasises individuality rather than broad coverage
文法句型
general + noun
用法筆記
Attributive only — this sense almost always appears before a noun. Not used predicatively.
常見錯誤
2. happening in most normal situations; what you would typically expect under ordin
happening in most normal situations; what you would typically expect under ordinary circumstances.
As a general rule, the museum closes at five o'clock during winter months.
fixed phrase: as a general rule = in most cases
The general practice in this clinic is to check each patient's blood pressure first.
Camila's general approach to difficult tasks is to break them into small steps.
In general terms, summer temperatures here reach about thirty degrees Celsius.
- unusual
not typical or expected
- exceptional
rare and outside the normal pattern
文法句型
general + noun
as a general rule
用法筆記
Often appears in fixed adverbial phrases like 'as a general rule', 'in general terms'. This sense is distinct from sense 1 — it describes what is normal or typical, not what is widespread.
常見錯誤
3. relating to the whole picture that results from looking at all relevant sides of
relating to the whole picture that results from looking at all relevant sides of a subject, rather than focusing on just one part.
Liang's doctor said that his general health is excellent for a man of seventy.
collocation: general health = overall condition of the body
We need a general idea of the costs before we commit to this project.
The general impression from the survey was that customers preferred the new packaging.
A general sense of unease filled the room after the sudden announcement.
- overall
nearly interchangeable; 'overall' is slightly more informal
- comprehensive
suggests thorough coverage of all details; stronger than 'general'
- holistic
more formal; emphasises interconnectedness of all parts
文法句型
general + noun
用法筆記
Typically used before abstract nouns describing assessment or condition (health, impression, attitude, sense). Not used for concrete, countable items.
常見錯誤
4. relating to what is best for the whole community or society, rather than for pri
relating to what is best for the whole community or society, rather than for private individuals or groups.
The new hospital was built for the general good of the entire community.
fixed phrase: the general good = benefit of all people
Élise believes that public money should serve the general welfare, not private interests.
Politicians often claim to act in the general interest, but their actions tell a different story.
The general good sometimes requires individuals to pay higher taxes for better public services.
- public
broader; 'public good' and 'general good' are near synonyms but 'public' is more common in modern usage
- communal
focuses on shared ownership within a smaller group; 'general' implies society-wide scope
- collective
emphasises joint responsibility; often used in business contexts
- private
relating to individual rather than community interests
- individual
focusing on one person's benefit rather than society's
文法句型
the general + noun
用法筆記
Almost always follows the definite article ('the') and combines with a small set of abstract nouns: good, welfare, interest. Restricted to formal or political discourse.
常見錯誤
5. giving only the main or most important information, without including details, n
giving only the main or most important information, without including details, numbers, or exact descriptions.
Can you give me a general idea of how much the kitchen repairs will cost?
collocation: general idea = rough understanding without details
This handout is just a general overview of the main events in European history.
The teacher first explained the general principles of chemistry before moving to formulas.
The article provides a general description of the ancient city and its main buildings.
文法句型
general + noun
用法筆記
Often contrasted with 'specific' or 'detailed' in the same sentence. Frequently used with nouns of communication: idea, overview, description, outline, sense.
常見錯誤
6. referring to the broad nature of a group or category, without separating or exam
referring to the broad nature of a group or category, without separating or examining individual members or cases.
In general, the children enjoyed the school trip to the science museum.
fixed phrase: in general = speaking broadly, without exceptions
The report deals with general trends in housing rather than specific local cases.
The term 'vegetable' is a general category that includes many different edible plants.
As a general observation, younger adults in this city prefer to rent rather than buy homes.
- specific
focusing on individual cases
- individual
considering each item separately
文法句型
in general
general + noun
用法筆記
Distinguish from sense 3 (OVERALL VIEW): sense 3 evaluates a single entity holistically ('general health'), while sense 6 groups many items together without examining each one ('general trends', 'in general').
常見錯誤
7. designed or intended for a wide variety of uses, subjects, or functions, rather
designed or intended for a wide variety of uses, subjects, or functions, rather than specialized for one particular purpose.
Kwame bought his cleaning supplies from a general store in the town.
general + noun for broad-category shop
The school offers a general studies programme for first-year students.
general studies as broad curriculum
Karim's general knowledge of world history impressed the whole class.
A general encyclopedia covers topics from art and science to sports and music.
- wide-ranging
emphasizes the breadth of coverage more strongly
- broad
similar in meaning but even more common; 'broad' can also mean wide physically
- comprehensive
implies thoroughness and completeness, not just breadth
- specialized
focused on one particular area or subject
- narrow
limited to a small range
文法句型
general + noun (broad category)
用法筆記
Attributive use only — this sense appears before a noun and describes something that covers many topics rather than one narrow field.
常見錯誤
8. used in job titles to show that someone holds the highest position within an ent
used in job titles to show that someone holds the highest position within an entire organization, department, or company
The General Manager of the hotel greeted each guest at the front door.
General Manager as senior company title
Saira was elected Secretary General of the student council last month.
The Attorney General announced a new policy on data protection yesterday.
Christopher met with the Inspector General to discuss the audit results.
文法句型
General + noun (job title)
用法筆記
This sense only appears as part of a formal job title and is always capitalized. The noun that follows is usually a role such as Manager, Secretary, Attorney, or Inspector.
常見錯誤
9. affecting the whole body rather than a single part — used especially in medical
affecting the whole body rather than a single part — used especially in medical and health contexts
The surgeon gave the patient general anaesthesia before the heart operation.
general anaesthesia as whole-body medical procedure
Mayumi felt a general weakness in her arms and legs after the flu.
Nikhil experienced general body aches for three days after the long hike.
General swelling appeared in several parts of his body after the insect bite.
- systemic
more technical medical term for whole-body effects
- widespread
broader term, not limited to medical contexts
- total
used in 'total body' but less common in medical writing
文法句型
general + noun (medical context)
用法筆記
Common in medical contexts. When used with conditions like weakness, pain, or swelling, it signals that the symptom is spread throughout the body rather than limited to one area.