general
gen·eral [general generals] adjective, noun BrE [ˈdʒenrəl] NAmE [ˈdʒenrəl]
adjective
AFFECTING ALL
1. affecting all or most people, places or things
• The general opinion is that the conference was a success.
•the general belief/consensus
•books of general interest (= of interest to most people)
• The bad weather has been fairly general (= has affected most areas).
USUAL
2. usually before noun normal; usual
• There is one exception to this general principle.
•As a general rule (= usually) he did what he could to be helpful.
•This opinion is common among the general population (= ordinary people).
NOT EXACT
3. including the most important aspects of sth; not exact or detailed
Syn: ↑overall
• I check the bookings to get a general idea of what activities to plan.
• I know how it works in general terms.
•They gave a general description of the man.
4. the ~ direction/area approximately, but not exactly, the direction/area mentioned
•They fired in the general direction of the enemy.
NOT LIMITED
5. not limited to a particular subject, use or activity
•a general hospital
•general education
• We shall at this stage keep the discussion fairly general.
6. not limited to one part or aspect of a person or thing
•a general anaesthetic
• The building was in a general state of disrepair.
HIGHEST IN RANK
7. only before noun (also General)after noun highest in rank; chief
•the general manager
•the Inspector General of Police
see also ↑Attorney General, ↑director general, ↑Governor General, ↑Secretary General, ↑Solicitor General, ↑Surgeon General
Word Origin:
Middle English: via Old French from Latin generalis, from genus, gener- ‘class, race, kind’. The noun primarily denotes a person having overall authority: the sense ‘army commander’ is an abbreviation of captain general, from French capitaine général ‘commander-in-chief’.
Thesaurus:
general adj.
1.
•The general opinion is that a new bridge is needed.
widespread • • common • • universal • • popular • • commonplace • • rife • |formal prevalent • |formal humorous ubiquitous •
in general/widespread/common/universal use
the general/widespread/universal/common/popular/prevalent view
a general/widespread/universal/common/prevalent problem
2.
•All the machines operate on the same general principle.
standard • • routine • • usual • • regular • • traditional • • habitual •
the general/standard/routine/usual/regular/traditional procedure/practice
the general/standard/routine/usual/egular/traditional/habitual way
sb's general/usual/habitual behaviour
3.
•She read the introduction to get a general idea of the subject.
broad • • overall • • sweeping •
Opp: specific, Opp: detailed
the general/broad/overall context
a/an general/broad/overall conclusion
a general/broad/sweeping assertion/statement
General or broad? General is used slightly more often when talking about trends; broad is used slightly more often when talking about categories and aims
•a general trend/tendency/direction
• a broad definition/sense/aim/objective
Language Bank:
conclusion
Summing up an argument
In conclusion ▪, the study has provided useful insights into the issues relating to people's perception of crime.
▪ Based on this study, it can be concluded that ▪ the introduction of new street lighting did not reduce reported crime.
To sum up ▪, no evidence can be found to support the view that improved street lighting reduces reported crime.
▪ The available evidence clearly leads to the conclusion that ▪ the media do have an influence on the public perception of crime.
The main conclusion to be drawn from ▪ this study is that public perception of crime is significantly influenced by crime news reporting.
This study has shown that ▪ people's fear of crime is out of all proportion to crime itself.
▪ Fear of crime is out of all proportion to the actual level of crime, and the reasons for this can be summarized as follows ▪. First…
Overall ▪ / In general ▪, women are more likely than men to feel insecure walking alone after dark.
Language Banks at ↑emphasis, ↑first, ↑generally
Language Bank:
generally
Ways of saying ‘in general’
▪ Women generally ▪ earn less than men.
Generally speaking ▪, jobs traditionally done by women are paid at a lower rate than those traditionally done by men.
In general ▪ / By and large ▪, women do not earn as much as men.
▪ Certain jobs, like nursing and cleaning, are still mainly ▪ carried out by women.
▪ Senior management posts are predominantly ▪ held by men.
▪ Most senior management posts tend to ▪ be held by men.
▪ Women are, for the most part ▪, still paid less than men.
▪ Economic and social factors are, to a large extent ▪, responsible for women being concentrated in low-paid jobs.
Language Banks at ↑conclusion, ↑except, ↑similarly
Example Bank:
•As a general rule, the paler the roast the milder the coffee.
•I check the bookings to get a general idea of what activities to plan.
•I know how it works in general terms.
•In general, Japanese cars are very reliable.
•The bad weather has been fairly general.
•The general consensus was that the scheme was too expensive.
•The general opinion is that a new bridge is needed.
•The machines all operate on the same general principle.
•The unions threatened a further general strike.
•There was a general amnesty for crimes committed during the civil war.
•There was a general lack of adequate training.
Idiom: ↑in general
noun (abbr.Gen.)
an officer of very high rank in the army and the US ↑air force; the officer with the highest rank in the ↑marines
•a four-star general
•General Tom Parker
see also ↑brigadier general, ↑major general
Word Origin:
Middle English: via Old French from Latin generalis, from genus, gener- ‘class, race, kind’. The noun primarily denotes a person having overall authority: the sense ‘army commander’ is an abbreviation of captain general, from French capitaine général ‘commander-in-chief’.
Example Bank:
•Both generals had commanded units in that area.
|
|
