general
n. countablen. a very high-ranking officer in the army or air force. This person is a leader who makes important decisions for many soldiers.
n. a high-ranking military officer, typically above the rank of colonel, who commands a large unit or holds a senior staff position.
The general ordered the troops to move forward.
After thirty years of service, she was promoted to general and took command of the entire base.
Historians often debate whether the general's tactical brilliance on the battlefield was overshadowed by his inability to navigate the complex political landscape of the capital.
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.
When used as a title before a name, it is capitalized (e.g., General Smith).