HOW TO USE THE DICTIONARY
To look up an entry in The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, use the search window above. For best results, after typing in the word, click on the “Search” button instead of using the “enter” key.
Some compound words (like bus rapid transit, dog whistle, or identity theft) don’t appear on the drop-down list when you type them in the search bar. For best results with compound words, place a quotation mark before the compound word in the search window.
THE USAGE PANEL
The Usage Panel is a group of nearly 200 prominent scholars, creative writers, journalists, diplomats, and others in occupations requiring mastery of language. Annual surveys have gauged the acceptability of particular usages and grammatical constructions.
AMERICAN HERITAGE DICTIONARY APP
The new American Heritage Dictionary app is now available for iOS and Android.
THE AMERICAN HERITAGE DICTIONARY BLOG
The articles in our blog examine new words, revised definitions, interesting images from the fifth edition, discussions of usage, and more.
INTERESTED IN DICTIONARIES?
Check out the Dictionary Society of North America at http://www.dictionarysociety.com
adj. 1. Concerned with, applicable to, or affecting the whole or every member of a class or category: "subduing all her impressions as a woman, to something more general" (Virginia Woolf). 2. Affecting or characteristic of the majority of those involved; prevalent: general discontent. 3. Of or affecting the entire body: general paralysis. 4. Being usually the case; true or applicable in most instances but not all: the general correctness of her decisions. 5. a. Not limited in scope, area, or application: as a general rule. b. Not limited to or dealing with one class of things; diversified: general studies. 6. Involving only the main features rather than precise details: a general grasp of the subject. 7. Highest or superior in rank: the general manager. n. Idiom: 1. a. A commissioned rank in the US Army, Air Force, or Marine Corps that is above lieutenant general. b. One who holds this rank or a similar rank in another military organization. 2. A general officer. 3. A statement, principle, or fact that embraces or is applicable to the whole. 4. General anesthesia. 5. Archaic The public. in general Generally. [Middle English, from Latin generālis, from genus, gener-, kind; see genə- in the Appendix of Indo-European roots.] gener·al·ness n. Synonyms: general, common, universal These adjectives mean belonging to, relating to, or affecting the whole: the general welfare; a common enemy; universal military conscription. Antonym: particular |
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2022 by HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.
