different between general vs simple

English

Alternative forms

• generall (chiefly archaic)

Etymology

From Middle English general, in turn from Anglo-Norman general, generall, Middle French general, and their source, Latin gener?lis, from genus (“class, kind”) + -?lis (“-al”).

Pronunciation

• (UK, US) IPA^(key): /?d???n??l/
• (US) IPA^(key): /?d???n???l/
• Hyphenation: gene?ral, gen?er?al

Adjective

general (comparative more general, superlative most general)

1. Including or involving every part or member of a given or implied entity, whole etc.; as opposed to specific or particular. [from 13th c.]
2. (sometimes postpositive) Applied to a person (as a postmodifier or a normal preceding adjective) to indicate supreme rank, in civil or military titles, and later in other terms; pre-eminent. [from 14th c.]
3. Prevalent or widespread among a given class or area; common, usual. [from 14th c.]
4. Not limited in use or application; applicable to the whole or every member of a class or category. [from 14th c.]
5. Giving or consisting of only the most important aspects of something, ignoring minor details; indefinite. [from 16th c.]
6. Not limited to a specific class; miscellaneous, concerned with all branches of a given subject or area. [from 16th c.]

Synonyms

• (involving every part or member): broad, generic; see also Thesaurus:generic
• (prevalent or widespread): typical; see also Thesaurus:common

Antonyms

• (involving every part or member): particular, specific; see also Thesaurus:specific
• (prevalent or widespread): abnormal, uncommon

Derived terms

Related terms

• universal
• common

Translations

Noun

general (countable and uncountable, plural generals)

1. (now rare) A general fact or proposition; a generality. [from 16th c.]

2. (military) The holder of a senior military title, originally designating the commander of an army and now a specific rank falling under field marshal (in the British army) and below general of the army or general of the air force in the US army and air forces. [from 16th c.]
3. A great strategist or tactician. [from 16th c.]

4. (Christianity) The head of certain religious orders, especially Dominicans or Jesuits. [from 16th c.]
5. (nautical) A commander of naval forces; an admiral. [16th-18th c.]
6. (colloquial, now historical) A general servant; a maid with no specific duties. [from 19th c.]
7. (countable) A general anesthetic.
8. (uncountable) General anesthesia.
9. (uncountable, insurance) The general insurance industry.

Usage notes

When used as a title, it is always capitalized.

Example: General John Doe.

The rank corresponds to pay grade O-10. Abbreviations: GEN.

Coordinate terms

• (insurance industry): health, life, pensions

Translations

See also

• hetman

Verb

general (third-person singular simple present generals, present participle generalling or generaling, simple past and past participle generalled or generaled)

1. To lead (soldiers) as a general.

Adverb

general (not comparable)

1. (obsolete) In a general or collective manner or sense; in most cases; upon the whole.

Anagrams

• enlarge, gleaner, reangle

Catalan

Etymology

From Latin gener?lis.

Pronunciation

• (Balearic, Central) IPA^(key): /??.n???al/
• (Valencian) IPA^(key): /d??e.ne??al/

Adjective

general (masculine and feminine plural generals)

1. general

Noun

general m (plural generals, feminine generala)

1. (military) general

Derived terms

Further reading

• “general” in Diccionari de la llengua catalana, segona edició, Institut d’Estudis Catalans.
• “general” in Gran Diccionari de la Llengua Catalana, Grup Enciclopèdia Catalana.
• “general” in Diccionari normatiu valencià, Acadèmia Valenciana de la Llengua.
• “general” in Diccionari català-valencià-balear, Antoni Maria Alcover and Francesc de Borja Moll, 1962.

Danish

Noun

general c (singular definite generalen, plural indefinite generaler)

1. general

Inflection

Ladin

Adjective

general m (feminine singular generala, masculine plural generai, feminine plural generales)

1. general

Middle English

Alternative forms

• generall, generale

Etymology

From a mixture of Anglo-Norman general, Middle French general, and Latin gener?lis.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /d??n??ra?l/, /?d??n?ral/

Adjective

general

1. universal, complete
2. comprehensive, wide-ranging
3. general, widely useable or applicable
4. common, widely present

Descendants

• English: general
• Scots: general

References

• “?ener?l, adj. & n.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007, retrieved 2018-04-01.

Noun

general (plural generals)

1. genus, class, group

References

• “?ener?l, adj. & n.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007, retrieved 2018-04-01.

Norwegian Bokmål

Noun

general m (definite singular generalen, indefinite plural generaler, definite plural generalene)

1. (military) a general

Derived terms

• generalguvernør

Norwegian Nynorsk

Noun

general m (definite singular generalen, indefinite plural generalar, definite plural generalane)

1. (military) a general

Derived terms

• generalguvernør

Old French

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin gener?lis.

Noun

general m (oblique plural generaus or generax or generals, nominative singular generaus or generax or generals, nominative plural general)

1. (military) general

Adjective

general m (oblique and nominative feminine singular generale)

1. general (not limited in use or application; applicable to the whole or every member of a class or category)

Declension

Descendants

• ? English: general
• French: général

Portuguese

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin gener?lis. See also geral, from the same source.

Pronunciation

• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /?e.ne??a??/
• (Portugal) IPA^(key): /??.n???a?/
• Hyphenation: ge?ne?ral

Noun

general m (plural generais, feminine generala, feminine plural generalas)

1. (military) general

Descendants

• ? Tetum: jenerál

Further reading

• “general” in Dicionário Priberam da Língua Portuguesa.

Romanian

Etymology

Borrowed from French général, from Latin gener?lis.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /d??e.ne?ral/

Noun

general m (plural generali)

1. general

Declension

Adjective

general m or n (feminine singular general?, masculine plural generali, feminine and neuter plural generale)

1. general

Declension

Related terms

Serbo-Croatian

Etymology

From German General, from Latin gener?lis.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?en?ra?l/
• Hyphenation: ge?ne?ral

Noun

genèr?l m (Cyrillic spelling ????????)

1. (military) general

Declension

Slovene

Etymology

From German General, from Latin gener?lis.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /??n?rá?l/

Noun

gener?l m anim (female equivalent gener?lica or gener?lka)

1. (military) general

Inflection

Spanish

Etymology

From Latin gener?lis.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /xene??al/, [xe.ne??al]

Adjective

general (plural generales)

1. general

Derived terms

Noun

general m (plural generales, feminine generala, feminine plural generalas)

1. (military) general

Descendants

• ? Cebuano: heneral
• ? Tagalog: heneral

Further reading

• “general” in Diccionario de la lengua española, Vigésima tercera edición, Real Academia Española, 2014.

Swedish

Etymology

From German General, from Old French general, from Latin gener?lis.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /j?n(?)?r??l/

Noun

general c

1. a general; a military title
2. an Air Chief Marshal

Declension

Descendants

• ? Finnish: kenraali

References

English

Etymology

From Middle English symple, simple, from Old French and French simple, from Latin simplex (“simple”, literally “onefold”) (as opposed to duplex (“double”, literally “twofold”)), from semel (“the same”) + plic? (“I fold”). See same and fold. Compare single, singular, simultaneous, etc.

Partially displaced native English onefold.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?s?mp?l/
• Rhymes: -?mp?l
• Hyphenation: sim?ple

Adjective

simple (comparative simpler or more simple, superlative simplest or most simple)

1. Uncomplicated; taken by itself, with nothing added.
   • 2001, Sydney I. Landau, Dictionaries: The Art and Craft of Lexicography, Cambridge University Press ?ISBN, page 167,

     There is no simple way to define precisely a complex arrangement of parts, however homely the object may appear to be.

2. Without ornamentation; plain.
3. Free from duplicity; guileless, innocent, straightforward.
   • 1605, John Marston, The Dutch Courtesan

     Full many fine men go upon my score, as simple as I stand here, and I trust them.

   • 1838, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Literary Ethics - an Oration delivered before the Literary Societies of Dartmouth College, July 24, 1838

     To be simple is to be great.

4. Undistinguished in social condition; of no special rank.

   Antonym: gentle

5. (now rare) Trivial; insignificant.
   • 1485, Thomas Malory, Le Morte d'Arthur, Book X:

     ‘That was a symple cause,’ seyde Sir Trystram, ‘for to sle a good knyght for seyynge well by his maystir.’

6. (now colloquial) Feeble-minded; foolish.
7. (heading, technical) Structurally uncomplicated.
   1. (chemistry, pharmacology) Consisting of one single substance; uncompounded.
   2. (mathematics) Of a group: having no normal subgroup.
   3. (botany) Not compound, but possibly lobed.
   4. (of a steam engine) Using steam only once in its cylinders, in contrast to a compound engine, where steam is used more than once in high-pressure and low-pressure cylinders.
      • 1959, Steam's Finest Hour, edited by David P. Morgan, Kalmbach Publishing Co., page 6:

   5. (zoology) Consisting of a single individual or zooid; not compound.

   6. (mineralogy) Homogenous.
8. (obsolete) Mere; not other than; being only.

Synonyms

• (consisting of a single part or aspect): onefold
• (having few parts or features): plain
• See also Thesaurus:easy and Thesaurus:bare-bones

Antonyms

• (having few parts or features): complex, compound, complicated
• (uncomplicated): subtle

Derived terms

Translations

Noun

simple (plural simples)

1. (pharmacology) A herbal preparation made from one plant, as opposed to something made from more than one plant.
   • 2003, Dolores Stewart Riccio, Charmed Circle, Kensington Books (?ISBN), page 12:

     The venerable carryall, formerly brimming with all manner of esoteric pamphlets and witch's simples, now overflowed with a cascade of soft toys, juice bottles, tissues, linen books for infants, […]

2. (obsolete, by extension) A physician.
3. (logic) A simple or atomic proposition.
4. (obsolete) Something not mixed or compounded.
5. (weaving) A drawloom.
6. (weaving) Part of the apparatus for raising the heddles of a drawloom.
7. (Roman Catholicism) A feast which is not a double or a semidouble.

Translations

Verb

simple (third-person singular simple present simples, present participle simpling, simple past and past participle simpled)

1. (transitive, intransitive, archaic) To gather simples, i.e. medicinal herbs.

Derived terms

• simpler
• simplist
• simplify

Anagrams

• LEMSIP, impels

Asturian

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin simplex.

Adjective

simple (epicene, plural simples)

1. simple (uncomplicated)

Synonyms

• cenciellu

Catalan

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin simplex.

Pronunciation

• (Balearic, Central) IPA^(key): /?sim.pl?/
• (Valencian) IPA^(key): /?sim.ple/

Adjective

simple (masculine and feminine plural simples)

1. simple (uncomplicated)

   Synonym: senzill

2. single (not divided into parts)

Derived terms

• fulla simple (“simple leaf”)
• simplement (“simply”)

Related terms

• símplex (“simplex”)
• simplicitat (“simplicity”)
• ximple

Further reading

• “simple” in Diccionari de la llengua catalana, segona edició, Institut d’Estudis Catalans.
• “simple” in Diccionari català-valencià-balear, Antoni Maria Alcover and Francesc de Borja Moll, 1962.
• “simple” in Gran Diccionari de la Llengua Catalana, Grup Enciclopèdia Catalana.

Chavacano

Etymology

From Spanish simple (“simple”).

Adjective

simple

1. simple

Esperanto

Etymology

From simpla +? -e.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?simple/
• Hyphenation: sim?ple

Adverb

simple

1. simply

French

Etymology

From Old French, borrowed from Latin simplex.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /s??pl/

Adjective

simple (plural simples)

1. single (multiplier)

2. simple

3. one-way

4. mere

Usage notes

The second and third meanings are taken when the adjective is placed after the noun. The fourth meaning is taken when it is located before the noun.

Derived terms

Descendants

• ? Romanian: simplu

Noun

simple m (plural simples)

1. one-way ticket
2. (baseball) single

Related terms

Further reading

• “simple” in Trésor de la langue française informatisé (The Digitized Treasury of the French Language).

Anagrams

• emplis

Galician

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin simplex. Displaced Old Portuguese simplez.

Adjective

simple m or f (plural simples)

1. simple

German

Adjective

simple

1. inflection of simpel:
   1. strong/mixed nominative/accusative feminine singular
   2. strong nominative/accusative plural
   3. weak nominative all-gender singular
   4. weak accusative feminine/neuter singular

Latin

Adjective

simple

1. vocative masculine singular of simplus

Middle English

Adjective

simple

1. Alternative form of symple

Noun

simple

1. Alternative form of symple

Norwegian Bokmål

Adjective

simple

1. definite singular of simpel
2. plural of simpel

Norwegian Nynorsk

Adjective

simple

1. definite singular of simpel
2. plural of simpel

Old French

Alternative forms

• sinple

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin simplex.

Adjective

simple m (oblique and nominative feminine singular simple)

1. innocent
2. mere; simple
3. honest; without pretense
4. peasant, pauper (attributive)

Descendants

• French: simple
  • ? Romanian: simplu
• ? Middle English: symple, simple
  • Scots: semple
  • English: simple

Romanian

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [?sim.ple]

Adjective

simple

1. feminine/neuter plural nominative/accusative of simplu

Spanish

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin simplex.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?simple/, [?s?m.ple]

Adjective

simple (plural simples)

1. simple (uncomplicated)

   Synonym: sencillo

   Antonym: complejo

2. (before the noun) mere, ordinary

   Synonym: mero

3. simple, single (not divided into parts)

   Antonym: compuesto

4. simple-minded, stupid
5. insipid, flavorless

   Synonym: soso

6. (grammar) simple

Usage notes

A way to think of the difference between simple and sencillo, which both mean "simple" in English, is that the antonym of simple is complejo (“complex”), whereas the antonym of sencillo is complicado (“complicated”).

Derived terms

Descendants

• Chavacano: simple

Noun

simple m or f (plural simples)

1. simpleton, fool
2. (pharmacology, masculine only) simple

See also

• más simple que el mecanismo de un botijo

Further reading

• “simple” in Diccionario de la lengua española, Vigésima tercera edición, Real Academia Española, 2014.

Swedish

Adjective

simple

1. absolute definite natural masculine form of simpel.

Anagrams

• simpel

Tagalog

Etymology

Borrowed from Spanish simple.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?simpl?/

Adjective

símple

1. simple; plain

   Synonyms: payak, yano, liso