GENERAL-PURPOSE Synonyms: 30 Similar and Opposite Words

general-purpose

adjective

ˈjen-rəl-ˈpər-pəs

Definition of general-purpose

as in unlimited

not limited or specialized in application or purpose a general-purpose glue for routine household repairs

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Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of general-purpose Its argument is that the general-purpose robot hand of the future will win by handling tools reliably, not by being dazzlingly complex. — New Atlas, 6 Oct. 2026 The gap between demos and reality As Balzano explained, humanoid robots are regularly marketed as flexible, general-purpose workers. — Christopher McFadden, Interesting Engineering, 2 Oct. 2026 Friday’s announcement comes two weeks after tech columnist Jason Aten said that Meta’s new general-purpose AI agent Muse sent him an unsolicited notification referencing a thread between him and a co-worker over Apple Messages. — Dan Goodin, ArsTechnica, 2 Oct. 2026 An additional general-purpose room can be used as a secondary lounge space, an office, or a gym. — Tori Latham, Robb Report, 29 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for general-purpose

Recent Examples of Synonyms for general-purpose

Adjective

Unlike the federal campaign contribution limit of $3,500 for donors, candidates can make unlimited contributions or loans.

— Mathew Miranda, Sacbee.com, 20 Oct. 2026
This Billingsgate community has access to public transportation, golf, equestrian centers, local farm stands, hiking trails, the Farmington River, public library, and an unlimited range of eclectic dining, coffee shops and retail establishments.

— James Alexander, Hartford Courant, 18 Oct. 2026

Definition of unlimited

Adjective

There’s a distinction between general reasoning models, like LLMs, and the specialized AI biofoundation models like protein language models and protein structure prediction.

— Adam Kovac, Scientific American, 14 Oct. 2026
Prior to this, Asian artists largely had to compete in the best global music performance category or the broader general pop fields.

— Jeff Benjamin, Billboard, 13 Oct. 2026

Definition of general

Adjective

Heading into the 2027 offseason, with many of the league’s stars locked into long-term contracts, four unrestricted free agents could meaningfully change teams’ fortunes.

— Sabreena Merchant, New York Times, 15 Oct. 2026
The new cohort joins 20 previously awarded fellows who have received close to $700,000 in unrestricted funding since 2021, when Inevitable Foundation was founded.

— Katie Campione, Deadline, 14 Oct. 2026

Definition of unrestricted

Browse Nearby Words

general practitioners

general-purpose

generals

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“General-purpose.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/general-purpose. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of general-purpose

adjective

Example Sentences

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