How to say "general" in Japanese

• 一般いっぱんJLPT N3approx.Common
  no-adjectiveCovers the everyday sense of 'general': widespread, universal, applying to most people and cases rather than to something specific — the opposite of 'special.' It has no military meaning at all.
  その理論りろんはまだ一般いっぱんに認みとめられていない。↗

  The theory is not accepted yet.
• 将軍しょうぐんCommon
  nounSeldom the word you want for the rank 'general': it denotes an army's commander — the title English knows as 'shogun' — rather than a service rank. For the rank itself, use 大将.
  将軍しょうぐんは私わたしたちと握手あくしゅをした。↗

  The general shook hands with us.
• 大将たいしょうCommon
  nounThis is the military 'general' — and also 'admiral.' Choose it when 'general' refers to a person holding that rank, not to rough, undetailed descriptions or ideas.
• 大まかおおまかCommon
  na-adjectiveCovers 'general' in the sense of not worked out in detail: a general idea, outline or estimate that captures the whole while leaving specifics open. The nuance is loose and flexible rather than sweeping.
  警察官けいさつかんはその少女しょうじょに、いなくなった犬いぬの大おおまかな絵えを描えがくように求もとめた。↗

  The police asked the girl to make a rough sketch of her lost dog.
• 大雑把おおざっぱJLPT N2approx.Common
  na-adjectiveAlso covers 'general' for rough estimates, summaries and the like, with a sweeping flavor: things are lumped into broad strokes and fine distinctions ignored. A close neighbor of 大まか, a shade coarser in feel.
  大雑把おおざっぱに言いえば、バスには３０名めいほどの人ひと達たちがいました。↗

  Roughly speaking, there were about 30 people in the bus.

For 'general' meaning widespread or non-specific, use 一般; for the military rank use 大将 (also 'admiral') — not 将軍, which is really the title English knows as 'shogun'; for general ideas, estimates or summaries, use 「大まか」 or 大雑把.

Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only

• 一般いっぱんgeneral
• 将軍しょうぐんgeneral
• 大将たいしょうgeneral
• 大まかおおまかrough (estimate, outline, etc.)
• 大雑把おおざっぱrough (estimate, summary, etc.)
• 将しょうcommander
• 普遍ふへんuniversal
• 将官しょうかんgeneral
• 一般的いっぱんてきgeneral
• 司令官しれいかんcommandant
• 全体的ぜんたいてきoverall
• 通常つうじょうusual
• 総そうwhole
• 全面的ぜんめんてきtotal
• 総合的そうごうてきcomprehensive
• ゼネラルgeneral (manager, strike, etc.)
• 陸将りくしょうgeneral
• 一将いっしょうgeneral
• 原則的げんそくてきgeneral
• 全般的ぜんぱんてきgeneral
• 概念的がいねんてきgeneral
• 軍門ぐんもんcamp gate
• 大づかみおおづかみrough (explanation, details, etc.)
• 一般向きいっぱんむきpopular
• 軍配者ぐんばいしゃcommander (during the Sengoku period)
• 総体的そうたいてきoverall
• 将領しょうりょうcommander
• 総括的そうかつてきall-inclusive
• 空将くうしょう(Self Defense Force's Air Force) general (defence)
• だいたいgeneral
• 総合そうごうgeneral
• トータルcomprehensive
• 不定称ふていしょうgeneral
• 大おおrough
• 幕下ばっかshogun