general hospital: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
C1Formal / Neutral
Quick answer
What does “general hospital” mean?
A large hospital that provides a wide range of medical and surgical services for all types of illnesses and injuries, without focusing on a single specialty.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
A large hospital that provides a wide range of medical and surgical services for all types of illnesses and injuries, without focusing on a single specialty.
A central medical institution that typically serves a broad community, often including emergency departments, inpatient wards, and various outpatient clinics. It may also be used as a proper noun for specific institutions (e.g., Massachusetts General Hospital).
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
In the UK, 'General Hospital' is commonly part of the official names of NHS district hospitals (e.g., St Mary's General Hospital). In the US, while the term is understood, hospitals are more frequently named after cities, regions, or founders, even if they are 'general' in function.
Connotations
In both varieties, it connotes a primary, non-specialist public healthcare facility. In the UK, it strongly associates with the local NHS trust. In the US, it may sound slightly dated or formal compared to simply 'hospital' or 'medical center'.
Frequency
Higher frequency in UK English, especially in official contexts and place names. In US English, the term 'community hospital' or 'medical center' is often used with similar meaning.
Grammar
How to Use “general hospital” in a Sentence
PATIENT was taken to [the] general hospital[The] general hospital provides TREATMENTto work at [a] general hospitalVocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “general hospital” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- The trust plans to general-hospitalise the services across the region. (rare, non-standard)
adjective
British English
- She received general-hospital care for her broken leg.
American English
- The general-hospital model is under review by the county board.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Rare. May appear in healthcare industry reports or contracts for service provision.
Academic
Common in public health, medical sociology, and health policy literature to describe a type of healthcare institution.
Everyday
Common when referring to a local main hospital, especially in the UK (e.g., 'He's in the General').
Technical
Used in healthcare administration to categorize hospital types by service breadth.
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “general hospital”
Vocabulary
Antonyms of “general hospital”
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “general hospital”
- Using 'general hospital' to refer to a small clinic or GP surgery. Incorrectly capitalising it when not part of a proper noun (e.g., 'I went to General Hospital').
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Not necessarily. A teaching hospital is affiliated with a medical school and trains new doctors. It can be a general hospital or a specialist one. Many large general hospitals are also teaching hospitals.
It is often a historical naming convention, particularly in the UK and Commonwealth, to denote the hospital's role as the primary, non-specialist provider for a geographical area. In the US, other naming patterns (e.g., memorial, regional, saint's names) are more common.
Yes, but it is a proper noun in that case (the American soap opera 'General Hospital'). In everyday language, it is usually understood from context.
The terms can overlap. A 'community hospital' often implies a smaller scale, serving a local community, possibly with fewer specialist services. A 'general hospital' is usually larger and offers a broader, though still non-specialist, range of acute services. In the US, 'community hospital' is the more common term.
A large hospital that provides a wide range of medical and surgical services for all types of illnesses and injuries, without focusing on a single specialty.
General hospital is usually formal / neutral in register.
General hospital: in British English it is pronounced /ˌdʒenrəl ˈhɒspɪtl/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˌdʒenərəl ˈhɑːspɪtl/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think GENERAL = for all kinds of problems, HOSPITAL = place for treatment. A 'general hospital' treats general (non-specialised) medical issues.
Conceptual Metaphor
THE HOSPITAL AS A CITY: The general hospital is the capital or main city, while specialist hospitals are like smaller towns focused on one industry.
Practice
Quiz
In which context is the term 'general hospital' MOST frequently used in the UK?