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 New York attorney general also said Capital One created a second high-yield program called 360 Performance Savings, which was nearly identical to 360 Savings, but had a much higher rate.

From The Wall Street Journal

The Venezuelan government has not commented on the pace of the releases, and the attorney general has declined a BBC interview request.

From BBC

The state attorney general’s office said previously that the office took over reviewing the case because of the “potential conflict of interest” involving the Kern County district attorney’s office.

From Los Angeles Times

Constellation agreed to divest six plants in Texas, Delaware, and Pennsylvania as part of an agreement announced last month with the Texas attorney general and the Department of Justice.

From Barron's

A Nigerian court has granted bail to the country's former attorney general, Abubakar Malami, along with his wife and son, who are facing money laundering charges.

From BBC