The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 8 letter word NATIONAL
N
A
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O
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More clues leading to the result NATIONAL
- Race generating more than local interest?
- The country's reasonable, wanting a new leader
- Note new Laotian general
- Knight of sound mind beheaded citizen
- Major newspaper owned by the state
- Race that generates more than local interest?
- & 24 & 16 Successful lobby group that calls the shots?
- /13/15 All the Conservatives in a frenzy about hot replacement for shaky leader? Not very – it’s in perpetual crisis
- Subject Antonia disseminated to student
- Subject to trust of land owners
Buddy explains!

The straight part
We know that "general" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case general = national.The cryptic/wordplay part
In cryptic crossword there's often an wordplay/cryptic part as well.This part involves a more complex hint, such as an anagram, homophone, hidden word, etc.
Sadly, We don't have an explanation for this specific crossword clue yet.
What does NATIONAL mean?
NATIONAL noun- A subject of a nation.
- (usually in the plural) A tournament in which participants from all over the nation compete.
- Of or having to do with a nation.
- (by extension) Of or having to do with a country (sovereign state).