attorney general

American  

noun

plural

attorneys general, attorney generals

1. the chief law officer of a country or state and head of its legal department. att. gen.

2. Attorney General, the head of the U.S. Department of Justice: a member of the president's cabinet. Atty. Gen.

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Attorney General ¹ British  

noun

1. (in the United Kingdom except Scotland) the senior law officer and chief legal counsel of the Crown: a member of the government and of the House of Commons

2. (in the US) the chief law officer and legal adviser to the Administration: head of the Department of Justice and member of the cabinet

3. (in Australia and New Zealand) the chief government law officer: a member of Parliament and usually a cabinet minister

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attorney general ² British  

noun

1. a country's chief law officer and senior legal adviser to its government

2. (in the US) the chief law officer and legal adviser of a state government

3. (in some states of the US) a public prosecutor

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Etymology

Origin of attorney general

First recorded in 1575–85

Compare meaning

How does attorney-general compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• solicitor general vs. attorney general

Example Sentences

The allegation came in a statement released in Geneva on Monday, the same day that Porras, whose term as attorney general ends in May, failed in her bid to be elected to Guatemala's Constitutional Court.

From Barron's

There was a time when Americans considered the attorney general to be one of the most distinguished, consequential appointments in government.

From Salon

The probe spearheaded by the attorney general's office aims to determine "whether the president exerted undue influence" in the appointments of the women between October and January.

From Barron's

If the Justice Department decides to settle with Live Entertainment, a group of some 40 state attorney generals will probably persist in their own antitrust litigation.

From Barron's

Hochman questioned why he is being criticized when the California attorney general’s office has reviewed dozens of fatal shootings of unarmed persons throughout the state since 2020 and filed no criminal cases.

From Los Angeles Times