general-purpose

adjective

gen·​er·​al-pur·​pose ˈjen-rəl-ˈpər-pəs How to pronounce general-purpose (audio)
ˈje-nə-
: 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
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Conversely, a more general-purpose, out-of-the-box offering from an existing vendor may work well in the current IT ecosystem but often lags in capabilities. Tom Wilkie, Forbes, 4 Nov. 2024 And in September, IBM partnered with NASA to release a general-purpose open-source model that can be used for various climate-modeling cases, and which runs on a desktop. Harry Booth, TIME, 4 Nov. 2024 As a highly specialized alternative to general AI, agents deployed in a specific vertical focus on mastering tasks within a particular field, offering a precision that addresses unique industry needs more effectively than general-purpose AI tools. Francois Botha, Forbes, 27 Oct. 2024 Feed it once a month with a diluted general-purpose product, following the directions on the label. Andy Wilcox, Better Homes & Gardens, 24 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for general-purpose 

Word History

First Known Use

1894, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of general-purpose was in 1894

Dictionary Entries Near general-purpose

Cite this Entry

“General-purpose.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/general-purpose. Accessed 15 Nov. 2024.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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