In Britain, a major general is a senior officer in the army. In the United States, a major general is a senior officer in the army, air force, or marines.
major general in British English
noun
military
an officer immediately junior to a lieutenant general
Derived forms
major-generalship (ˈmajor-ˈgeneralship) or major-generalcy (ˈmajor-ˈgeneralcy)
noun
major general in American English
Word forms: pluralmajor generals
US Military
an officer, with the insignia of two stars, ranking above a brigadier general and below a lieutenant general
Examples of 'major general' in a sentence
major general
In two years he rose from lieutenant colonel to major general.
Garraty, John Arthur The American Nation: A History of the United States to 1877 (1995)