# general

> English word · Adjective · IPA /ˈd͡ʒɛn.(ə.)ɹəl/ · frequency rank #320

## Definitions
1. Including or involving every part or member of a given or implied entity, whole, etc.; common to all, universal.
2. Applied to a person (as a postmodifier or a normal preceding adjective) to indicate supreme rank, in civil or military titles, and later in other terms; pre-eminent.
3. Prevalent or widespread among a given class or area; common, usual.
4. Not limited in use or application; applicable across a broad range.
5. Giving or consisting of only the most important aspects of something, ignoring minor details; indefinite.
6. Not of a specific class; miscellaneous.

## Etymology
From Middle English general, in turn from Anglo-Norman general, generall, Middle French general, and their source, Latin generālis, from genus (“class, kind”) + -ālis (“-al”); thus morphologically parallel with, and a doublet of, generic.

## Easily confused with
- **Geneva** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/general-vs-geneva)
- **genial** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/general-vs-genial)
- **generic** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/general-vs-generic)
- **genital** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/general-vs-genital)
- **generate** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/general-vs-generate)
- **generals** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/general-vs-generals)
- **generally** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/general-vs-generally)
- **genera** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/genera-vs-general)

## Common misspellings (10)
`egneral`, `geenral`, `genearl`, `generall`, `generla`, `generral`, `genneral`, `genreal`, `ggeneral`, `gneeral`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/general