outgeneral

O1U1T1G2E1N1E1R1A1L1
UK/aʊtˈdʒɛnɹəl/

verb

To outdo or surpass (someone) in military skill or leadership.

Scrabble 11

Meanings

verboutgeneral (third-person singular simple present outgenerals, present participle (US) outgeneraling or (UK) outgeneralling, simple past and past participle (US) outgeneraled or (UK) outgeneralled)

present singular third person outgenerals · US participle present outgeneraling · UK participle present outgeneralling · US participle past outgeneraled · US past outgeneraled · UK participle past outgeneralled · UK past outgeneralled · alternative out-general

  1. transitiveTo outdo or surpass (someone) in military skill or leadership.

    With far fewer troops at his disposal, Frederick had out-generaled and out-manoeuvred the flower of Austro-French chivalry – and out-strategized it too [...].

    2002, Colin Jones, The Great Nation, Penguin, published 2003, page 239
    2 more examples

    In general, our Generals were out generalled on Long Island, and Sullivan and Stirling with 1000 Men were made Prisoners, in Consequence of which, and several other unfortunate Circumstances, a Council of War thought it prudent to retreat from that Island, and Governors Island and then from New York.

    1776 October 8, John Adams, Letter from John Adams to Abigail Adams

    The door closed after him, and his nephew felt that he had been completely outgeneraled. He now saw, what he had only suspected before, that his uncle wished him to marry Constance.

    1837, L[etitia] E[lizabeth] L[andon], “A Proposal of Marriage”, in Ethel Churchill: Or, The Two Brides. […], volume I, London: Henry Colburn, […], →OCLC, page 133

Origin

  1. Proto-Indo-European*úd
  2. Proto-Germanic*ūt
  3. Proto-Germanic*ūt-
  4. Old Englishūt-
  5. Middle Englishut-
  6. Englishout-
  7. Anglo-Normangenera
  8. Middle Frenchgenera
  9. Latingenerālis
  10. Middle Englishgeneral
  11. Englishgeneral
  12. Englishoutgeneral

From out- + general.

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

outgeneral. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/outgeneral

MLA

“outgeneral.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/outgeneral. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “outgeneral,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/outgeneral.

Source: outgeneral on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.