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.

---

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

---

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

---

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

More than one grand jury similarly declined to indict New York’s Democratic attorney general, Letitia James, late last year.

From The Wall Street Journal

In October, OpenAI reached a deal with the attorneys general of California and Delaware to convert to a more traditional corporate structure that also created one of the world’s largest foundations.

From The Wall Street Journal

A bill being considered in New York would allow that state’s attorney general and property insurers to bring actions against parties responsible for climate-related disasters.

From Los Angeles Times

In addition, a 2025 Minnesota attorney general opinion noted that state law enforcement agencies may face liability for holding individuals solely on civil immigration detainers.

From The Wall Street Journal

Regulators, led by then–New York attorney general Eliot Spitzer, instituted sweeping laws to mitigate conflicts of interest and create walls between bankers and analysts.

From Barron's