(a) Affecting the whole world or cosmos; affecting everyone; including in its scope all of a specified or implied group; also, total, complete; (b) affecting the body or a part of the body as a whole, not confined or specific to a single organ or site; (c) having universal authority; (d) to the benefit or detriment of the people at large, communal, collective; (e) displaying the same attitude toward all, impartial; also, concerned with the common welfare, public-spirited, not partisan; also, cosmopolitan; (f) Catholic, as opposed to heretical, orthodox; (g)the ~ bodi of cristen religioun, Christendom; ~ chirche, chirche ~, the catholic church, the church universal [see also chirche n. 4a.]; ~ congregacioun, a general or universally representative assembly; counseil (sene) ~, an ecumenical council.

(a) Commonly or universally practiced or adhered to; characteristic of all members of a group; (b) widespread, common; (c) of a discussion: dealing in generalities, general; also, as noun, in phrase: in ~, in general.

Phil. (a) Lacking form, indeterminate; not individuated; matere ~; soule ~; (b) formed by generalizing from particulars, abstract; pertaining to a generalization; also, capable of abstraction; also, representing a type, ideal; (c) as noun: the abstraction formed by generalizing from particulars; a class, type.

(a) In its entirety, whole; at large; (b) all sorts of, the whole variety of.