general-purpose

[ jen-er-uhl-pur-puhs ]

adjective

1. useful in many ways; not limited in use or function:

   a good general-purpose dictionary.

general-purpose

adjective

1. having a range of uses or applications; not restricted to one function

Word History and Origins

Origin of general-purpose¹

First recorded in 1890–95

Example Sentences

While reconfigurable soft robots are still in their infancy, such a technique could someday enable general-purpose robots that can adapt their shapes to accomplish diverse tasks.

From Science Daily

In the budget meeting last week, Carvalho committed to additional general-purpose funding to schools and also, separately, to school arts programs that faced cutbacks.

From Los Angeles Times

Similar to general-purpose AI chatbots, companion bots use vast amounts of training data to mimic human language.

From Seattle Times

She comments: 'Instead of using a general-purpose computer with all its possibilities, you can build specific hardware; a tiny chip that does the job, keeping things much smaller and energy-efficient.'

From Science Daily

They are merely a convenient starting point for thinking about investing and not an exact, general-purpose prescription for everyone.

From New York Times