general average: Meaning and Definition of

gen'eral av'erage

Pronunciation: [key]
  1. any damage or loss to a ship or its cargo voluntarily sustained, as freight jettisoned in a storm, by all parties to a voyage (distinguished from particular average). Abbr.: G.A.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.