The Law Dictionary

Your Free Online Legal Dictionary • Featuring Black’s Law Dictionary, 2nd Ed.

GENERAL Definition & Legal Meaning

Definition & Citations:

Pertaining to, or designating, the genus or class, as distinguished fromthat which characterizes the spccics or individual. Universal, not particularized; as opposedto special. Principal or central; as opposed to local. Open or available to all, asopposed to select. Obtaining commonly, or recognized universally; as opposed to particular.Universal or unbounded; as opposed to limited. Comprehending the whole, ordirected to the whole; as distinguished from anything applying to or designed for a portion only.As a noun, the word is the title of a principal officer in the army, usually one whocommands a whole army, division, corps, or brigade. In the United States army, therank of “general” is the highest possible, next to the commander in chief, and is onlyoccasionally created. The officers next in rank are lieutenant general, major general,and brigadier general.

Disclaimer

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