as in unlimited
not limited or specialized in application or purpose
a general-purpose glue for routine household repairs
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Recent Examples of general-purpose
Like other general-purpose technologies (GPTs) such as the steam engine and the internet, crypto is embarking on a multi-decade journey to transform economic activity.
—
Christian Catalini, Forbes, 16 Jan. 2025
Unlike competitors who provide general-purpose solutions, Exadata X11M is tailored for high-demand Oracle Database workloads like AI, OLTP, and analytics processing.
—Steve McDowell, Forbes, 10 Jan. 2025
This will show up both in general-purpose LLMs, such as ones used for searching for information on the Internet, which will end up being used for obtaining medical information.
—John Timmer, Ars Technica, 8 Jan. 2025
And while general-purpose generative AI platforms continue to improve at coding, 2024 also saw the proliferation of increasingly capable AI tools that are tailored for coding.
—IEEE Spectrum, 31 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for general-purpose 
Christian Catalini, Forbes, 16 Jan. 2025
Unlike competitors who provide general-purpose solutions, Exadata X11M is tailored for high-demand Oracle Database workloads like AI, OLTP, and analytics processing.
—Steve McDowell, Forbes, 10 Jan. 2025
This will show up both in general-purpose LLMs, such as ones used for searching for information on the Internet, which will end up being used for obtaining medical information.
—John Timmer, Ars Technica, 8 Jan. 2025
And while general-purpose generative AI platforms continue to improve at coding, 2024 also saw the proliferation of increasingly capable AI tools that are tailored for coding.
—IEEE Spectrum, 31 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for general-purpose
Recent Examples of Synonyms for general-purpose
Adjective
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Includes unlimited digital access and exclusive subscriber-only content.—
Louryn Strampe,
WIRED,
14 Feb. 2025
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Plus earn unlimited 1% cash back on all other purchases.—
Ryley Amond,
CNBC,
12 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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In general, regulators would see any transaction that led to the dissolution of one of the leagues as anticompetitive; under Mr. Trump, though, antitrust regulators could take a more relaxed view.—
Lauren Hirsch,
New York Times,
19 Feb. 2025
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Gutekunst, now in his eighth season as the Packers’ general manager, has had significant salary cap space twice in his first seven years.—
Rob Reischel,
Forbes,
19 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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But unlike with Lindgren, a pending unrestricted free agent likely in his last year with New York, the Rangers gave Lafrenière a vote of confidence with his extension in October.—
Peter Baugh,
The Athletic,
9 Feb. 2025
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Ferraro, 26, can become an unrestricted free agent once the deal expires in 2026.—
Curtis Pashelka,
The Mercury News,
6 Feb. 2025
Thesaurus Entries Near general-purpose
Cite this Entry
“General-purpose.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/general-purpose. Accessed 22 Feb. 2025.
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