General

jen'er-al, a. Kelating to a genus or kind; pert, to a whole cla or order comprehending many species or individuals; not limited to a precise or detailed import lax in signification widely spread; prevalent; extensive, though not universal; having a relation to all common to the whole. — n. The whole; the total, — used in or in sing, with the definite article; the chief or superior officer in an administration; esp., one of the chief military officers of a country. [OF., general, universal, L. general is, pert, to a genus, q. v.] — General a embly. An a embly of a whole body, in fact or by representation; a legislature. — G. court. The legislature of a state,— its having, or having had, judicial power. — G. i ue. (Law.) An i ue made by a general plea, traversing the whole indictment at once, without offering any special matter to evade — G. officer. (Mil.) One above the rank of colonel. — G. ship. A ship employed as a general carrier. — G. term. (Logic.) A term which the sign of c general conception or notion. — In g. In the main; for the most part; not always or universally. [The word general, annexed to a name of office, usually denotes chief or superior, as, a commi ary-general, quarter-master-general.] — Generally, adv. In general; commonly; upon the whole. — Gen'eralneas, n. Condition or quality of being general; frequency; commonne . — Generality, -t-tt, n. State of being general; that which general; a vague statement or phrase; the main body, bulk, greatest part. [OF. generaliU.] — Generalize, v. [-iZE»(-Izd),-iziNG.] To bring under a genus or genera; to use with a more extensive application to make universal in application, as a formula or rule to derive, as a genus, or as a general conception, or general principle. — v. To form cla es or genera to take general or comprehensive views.— Gen'eraliza'tion, n. Act of generalizing. — Generalship, n. Office of, or exercise of the functions of, a general; skill and conduct of a general officer. — Gen'eralis'Bimo, n. The chief commander of a military force; esp., the commander-in-chief of an army consisting of grand divisions under separate commanders. [It.]