general-purpose

adjective

gen·er·al-pur·pose ˈjen-rəl-ˈpər-pəs

ˈje-nə-

Synonyms of general-purpose next

: suitable to be used for two or more basic purposes

Examples of general-purpose in a Sentence

a general-purpose glue for routine household repairs

Recent Examples on the Web For more than two decades, it’s been a regular topic of conversation: When might gaming consoles, the dedicated hardware that has been the core of the gaming biz, become obsolete — and be replaced by general-purpose platforms like PCs and smartphones? —

Jennifer Maas, Variety, 20 Sep. 2024 As a result, these models can grasp the vocabulary, context and intricacies unique to a particular domain—something that general-purpose models struggle with. —

Klaudia Zaika, Forbes, 18 Sep. 2024 Microsoft and Google have also invested heavily in custom chips to run AI, aiming to offer less expensive processors than Nvidia’s general-purpose graphics processing units. —

Rohan Goswami,kif Leswing, CNBC, 16 Sep. 2024 As a general-purpose technology, the same tools that will advance scientific discovery could also be used to develop cyber, chemical, or biological weapons. —

Paul Scharre, TIME, 14 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for general-purpose

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'general-purpose.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1894, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler

The first known use of general-purpose was in 1894

See more words from the same year

Cite this Entry

Style

“General-purpose.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/general-purpose. Accessed 1 Oct. 2024.

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