Synonyms

major general

American

noun

a military officer ranking next below a lieutenant general and next above a brigadier general.

major general British

noun

military an officer immediately junior to a lieutenant general

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

major-generalcy noun
major-generalship noun

Etymology

Origin of major general

First recorded in 1635–45

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

“The F-22 is the world’s premier fighter,” said Charles Corcoran, a retired Air Force major general and a former F-22 pilot.

From The Wall Street Journal

Police said retired Major General Suresh Sallay was taken into custody at dawn in a suburb of the capital, Colombo in the most high profile arrest in the long-running investigation.

From Barron's

On Wednesday, provincial deputy commissioner of police, Major General Fred Kekana said nine of the arrested suspects are Lesotho nationals, while one is from Mozambique.

From BBC

The minister said the others on the aircraft were Haddad's advisor, Mohammed Al-Assawi, as well as Major General Al-Fitouri Ghraibil, Major General Mohammed Jumaa, and their escort, Mohammed Al-Mahjoub.

From Barron's

Nigeria's counter-terrorism boss Major General Adamu Garba said recently that illegal mining "intersects with banditry, insurgency, arms trafficking and cross-border smuggling".

From Barron's

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023