Sharks, on the other hand, is a general term used to refer to any species of cartilaginous fish that has a body supported by a vertebral column and five to seven gill slits on each side of its head. There are over 500 known species of sharks, ranging in size from the smallest, the dwarf lantern shark, which is only about 6.5 inches long, to the largest, the whale shark, which can grow up to 40 feet long. Sharks are found in all five oceans, from the shallows to the deep sea.
So, the difference between a great white shark and a shark is that the great white shark is a specific species of shark, while shark is a general term used to refer to any species of cartilaginous fish with a vertebral column and five to seven gill slits on each side of its head.