major general

noun

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

major general

noun

1. military an officer immediately junior to a lieutenant general

Derived Forms

• ˈmajor-ˈgeneralship, noun

Other Words From

• major-gener·al·cy major-gener·al·ship noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of major general¹

First recorded in 1635–45

Example Sentences

He died of kidney cancer on March 8, 2017, as a retired, revered and decorated major general.

From Popular-Science

He rose to the rank of major general and led his troops in an 1864 attack that became known as the Fort Pillow Massacre.

From Washington Post

Major General Jean Kahwaji of the Lebanese armed forces recently declared an “open-ended war” with the militants.

From The Daily Beast

The young Jordanian pilot comes from a well-known military family in the kingdom and his uncle is a retired major general.

From The Daily Beast

She mistook him for a servant and fed him kindly; later, she found out that the man was a top advisor to a major general.

From The Daily Beast

Major General Lew MacKenzie relates perhaps a perfect example of thinking "outside the box."

From The Daily Beast

Major General Avi Zamir was so peeved that he reportedly called a boycott of Refaeli-endorsed products.

From The Daily Beast

The major-general kept him well informed of every movement of the enemy, and pointed out the dangerous isolation of Davout.

From Project Gutenberg

Thereon the major-general took on himself to nominate Prince Eugne as Murat's successor.

From Project Gutenberg

John Stark, a major general in the revolutionary army, died, aged 93.

From Project Gutenberg

David Mitchell, a major-general in the war of the American revolution, died, aged 77.

From Project Gutenberg

Major-general Gates ordered by congress to take command of the southern department.

From Project Gutenberg