Plural of general; high-ranking military officers who command large armies or groups of soldiers.
From Old French 'general,' derived from Latin 'generalis' (relating to a whole group or genus—gen- 'to generate' + -alis 'relating to'). A 'general' led all the soldiers in general, not just one unit.
The rank 'general' comes from Latin meaning 'of the whole kind'—a general commanded the entire army rather than one unit! This naming convention shows how military ranks reflect the scope of command, from 'colonel' (column leader) to 'captain' (head of a group) to 'general' (head of everything).
Military leadership has historically been male-coded; language reflects institutional exclusion of women from command roles, though women have led militaries.
Use 'military leaders' or 'commanders' as gender-neutral terms; 'general' is fine when referring to specific individuals.
["military leader","commander","military officer"]
Women have held commanding military ranks; Deborah (biblical), Joan of Arc, and countless others led troops despite institutional erasure.
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