general
Portuguese, noun/ʒe.neˈɾaw/
general is spelled G-E-N-E-R-A-L (7 letters) and appears 78 times per million words in written Portuguese, the 1,242nd most frequent Portuguese word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). General is a Portuguese masculine noun meaning “general (highest rank in the category of Army and Air Force officers, whose insignia consists of four stars)” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The Portuguese Wiktionary (Wikcionário) defines it as “a mais alta patente do exército”.
What does general mean in English?
adjective
- 1
femininemasculinegeneral (said of the subcategory of armed forces officer with a rank above that of senior officer)
- 2
femininemasculinegeneral (said of the military with this subcategory)
- 3
femininemasculineobsoletegeneral (including or involving every part or member of a given or implied entity, whole)
noun
- 1
masculinegeneral (highest rank in the category of Army and Air Force officers, whose insignia consists of four stars)
- 2
masculinechief, leader
noun
- 1
femininemasculinegeneral (officer holding that post)
- 2
femininemasculinegeneral (designation common to military personnel holding the ranks of general, lieutenant general and major general)
Source: English Wiktionary, Portuguese section, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0).
How Portuguese dictionaries define it
adjective: 1. o mesmo que geral
noun: 1. a mais alta patente do exército 2. graduação militar, imediatamente superior à de coronel 3. chefe 4. caudilho
The definition in the Portuguese Wiktionary (Wikcionário), in Portuguese.
Source: Portuguese Wiktionary (Wikcionário), dump of September 1, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org.
Forms of general
- generais plural
- Gal. alternative abbreviation
- gal. alternative abbreviation
Source: English Wiktionary and Portuguese Wiktionary (Wikcionário) (dumps of September 2, 2026 and September 1, 2026).
How do you pronounce general?
- Brazil /ʒe.neˈɾaw/
- Brazil [ʒe.neˈɾaʊ̯]
- Portugal /ʒɨ.nɨˈɾal/
Sources: English Wiktionary, Portuguese Wiktionary (Wikcionário) (dumps of September 2, 2026 and September 1, 2026); recordings from Wikimedia Commons.
English words that translate to general
Source: the translation tables of the English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026.
How common is general in Portuguese?
general appears 78 times per million words in written Portuguese.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).