  We show that there exists a generalized, universal notion of the trace
anomaly for theories which are not conformally invariant at the classical
level. The definition is suitable for any regularization scheme and clearly
states to what extent the classical equations of motion should be used, thus
resolving existing controversies surrounding previous proposals. Additionally,
we exhibit the link between our definition of the anomaly and the functional
Jacobian arising from a Weyl transformation.
