General-purpose means a thing is made to work in most situations, not for one special job only. A general-purpose knife, computer, or room can do many kinds of work well enough. It is a quiet, practical word — shops, manuals, and offices use it a lot.

General-purpose means意思是 a thing一樣東西 is made to work被做成 in most situations在大多數情況下都能用，not for one special job only不是只為一件特殊工作。A general-purpose knife, computer, or room一把 general-purpose 的刀、一台這樣的電腦或一個這樣的房間，can do能把 many kinds of work很多種工作 well enough做得夠好。It它 is a quiet, practical word是個低調實用的字——shops, manuals, and offices商店、說明書和辦公室 use it a lot很常用它。

The opposite idea is special-purpose or purpose-built: made for one job, and often better at that one job. Though actually, ‘general-purpose’ does not mean ‘best at everything’. It means ‘good enough for a wide range of uses’. A general-purpose tool may lose to a specialist tool when the job is narrow and hard.

The opposite idea相反的概念 is是 special-purpose 或 purpose-built：made for one job為一件工作而造，and often而且往往 at that one job在那件工作上 better更強。Though actually不過其實，‘general-purpose’ does not mean不是 ‘best at everything’「樣樣最強」的意思。It means它的意思是 ‘good enough for a wide range of uses’「在很大範圍的用途上都夠好」。when當 the job工作 is narrow and hard又窄又難時，A general-purpose tool一件 general-purpose 的工具 may lose to可能會輸給 a specialist tool專門的工具。

In writing, the hyphen is the usual form: general-purpose.

In writing書寫時，the hyphen帶連字號 is the usual form是通常的寫法：general-purpose。