Meanings
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
- 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 2392 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 AdamsThe 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
- Proto-Indo-European*úd
- Proto-Germanic*ūt
- Proto-Germanic*ūt-
- Old Englishūt-
- Middle Englishut-
- Englishout-
- Anglo-Normangenera
- Middle Frenchgenera
- Latingenerālis
- Middle Englishgeneral
- Englishgeneral
- Englishoutgeneral
Cite this entry
outgeneral. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/outgeneral
“outgeneral.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/outgeneral. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “outgeneral,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/outgeneral.
Source: outgeneral on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.