20 Words and Phrases to Use Instead of IN GENERAL

20 Words and Phrases to Use Instead of IN GENERAL

Hello English learners. Welcome to a new lesson. If you need to write a lot of emails and essays for school and you want to learn new words and phrases, this is the right lesson for you. We will look at different ways to say “in general.”

The phrase “in general” introduces a fact that refers to most people, things, phenomena, etc. in a group.

• In general, women tend to care more about their appearance than men.
• We believe that the people in general will support our idea.

Here are words and phrases to use instead of “in general.”

1. Across the board
2. Altogether
3. As a (general) rule
4. Basically
5. Broadly speaking
6. By and large
7. Essentially
8. For the most part
9. Generally speaking
10. In a general sense
11. In general terms
12. In great measure
13. In many respects
14. In many ways
15. In most cases
16. More often than not
17. On the whole
18. To a large/great extent
19. To all intents and purposes
20. When all is said and done

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Across the board

Meaning: applying or having an effect on all.

• The company sold everything we produced across the board.
• The hotel management cut 15% of their staff across the board.

Altogether

Meaning: including everybody and everything, considering everything.

• Hundred and fifty people were invited to the meeting altogether.
• Sean was not altogether satisfied with the court’s decision on the ownership of the company.

Words and Phrases to Use Instead of IN GENERAL

As a general rule

Meaning: in most cases.

• As a general rule, olive oil is far more appropriate for human consumption than animal fats.
• Parents, as a general rule, always strive for something which is in the best interest of a child.

Basically

Meaning: used to say that a statement considers the most essential aspects.

• Basically, the results of the research can be summarized in five sentences.
• My birth town has remained basically unchanged in the past twenty years.

Broadly speaking

Meaning: considering something from a particular point of view, without regard to particular aspects.

• Broadly speaking, the approach used in the research could be considered quite modern.
• If we look at the whole picture, broadly speaking, we can distinguish two forms of approaches.

By and large

Meaning: considering everything, in most aspects.

• By and large, the citizens were satisfied with the new law on food additives.
• The committee’s opinion was, by and large, similar to ours.

Essentially

Meaning: emphasizes the most important ideas of something.

• The approach used in the scientific work was essentially objective.
• Monica was essentially a modest person.

Words and Phrases to Use Instead of IN GENERAL

For the most part

Meaning: in most cases.

• For the most part, our host was very friendly and polite.
• Bob Dylan’s songs are for the most part phenomenal.

Generally speaking

Meaning: describes a general idea relating to all the people or things in a group.

• Generally speaking, this kind of dynamism resonated well with most employees.
• The house was, generally speaking, in much better shape than I thought.

In a general sense

Meaning: in general.

• In a general sense, the theories can be divided into two groups.
• History, in a general sense, can be described as the study of past events.

In general terms

Meaning: describing the situation in detail rather than as a whole.

• In general terms, the distinction between work from home and work in an office has been formulated in the following way.
• They described the contract in general terms, not in detail.

In great measure

Meaning: widely, considerably.

• Thanks, in great measure to the US help, the situation in the country has improved.
• Such an opportunity is in great measure ideal for practicing German.

Ways to say IN GENERAL

In many respects

Meaning: used to indicate that what you have said applies to many features of something.

• The new method of cultivation produces way more yields than the previous one in many respects.
• Women today see themselves as equal to men in many respects.

In many ways

Meaning: to a great degree.

• Larry and his brother were similar in many ways.
• The conflict between the two families was, in many ways going on for decades.

In most cases

Meaning: typically, generally.

• The survey has shown that in most cases public is not interested in online shopping for clothes.
• In most cases, setting up this software is quite easy.

More often than not

Meaning: in more than half of cases.

• More often than not, an average citizen cannot afford to have their own home.
• Technology tends to be market-driven more often than not.

On the whole

Meaning: in general; taking everything into account.

• Rob’s opinion on that matter was on the whole the same as his wife’s.
• After serious consideration, I concluded that your offer is on the whole appealing.

Words and Phrases to Use Instead of IN GENERAL

To a large/great extent

Meaning: most of the time, substantially.

• Success in this business, to a large extent, depends on your willingness to adapt to new situations.
• This theory, to a great extent, relies on observations.   

To all intents and purposes

Meaning: in most important aspects.

• The two works were, to all intents and purposes, almost identical.
• To all intents and purposes, the legal case was closed.

When all is said and done

Meaning: considering everything.

• When all is said and done, the more you spend on a new device, the more satisfied you will be.
• They are blessed with two amazing children when all is said and done.

Words and phrases to use instead of IN GENERAL

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