Outgeneral

Part of speech: verb

Pronunciation: /aʊtˈdʒɛnɹəl/

Definitions

1. To defeat or surpass someone by superior skill in military leadership
2. To demonstrate greater strategic ability than an opponent in command
3. To excel beyond another in planning and directing military operations

Etymology: "Outgeneral" is formed from the prefix "out-" and the verb "general," the latter being a fairly ordinary English word. The verb "general" means to act as a general, to command an army. What makes "outgeneral" interesting is that the "out-" prefix in English often means "surpass, exceed," so to outgeneral someone is to beat them at the business of generalship: outmaneuvering them, planning better, and winning the battle through superior command. The root beneath "general" runs back through Latin "generalis," meaning "of a kind" or "pertaining to a genus or class," derived from "genus," "kind" or "birth." It passed into English by way of Anglo-Norman and Middle French, and the military sense of a commander-in-chief developed from the broader idea of something belonging to the whole body or group, a sense that gradually narrowed to the leader of an army.

Synonyms: outmaneuver, outsmart, overreach