attorney general
noun
the chief law officer of a country or state and head of its legal department. att. gen.
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Attorney General
Attorney Generalnoun(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
attorney general
Americannoun
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attorneys general,
plural
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attorney generals
plural
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the chief law officer of a country or state and head of its legal department. att. gen.
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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
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(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
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(in the US) the chief law officer and legal adviser to the Administration: head of the Department of Justice and member of the cabinet
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(in Australia and New Zealand) the chief government law officer: a member of Parliament and usually a cabinet minister
attorney general
2
British
noun
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a country's chief law officer and senior legal adviser to its government
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(in the US) the chief law officer and legal adviser of a state government
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(in some states of the US) a public prosecutor
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of attorney general
First recorded in 1575–85
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
“I can’t think of an attorney general who has been quite as aggressive in trying to prevent people from getting compensation,” Gutman said.
From Salon ● Aug. 10, 2026
The vote brings to an end a lengthy standoff between Senate Republicans and the Trump administration over Blanche, who has served as acting attorney general since April.
From BBC ● Aug. 8, 2026
On Friday, Bill Cassidy of Louisiana took to the Senate floor to announce his intent to vote for Todd Blanche, Donald Trump’s nominee to be attorney general.
From Slate ● Aug. 7, 2026
Blanche became the acting attorney general in April after Bondi was fired.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 6, 2026
The United States attorney general, Alberto Gonzales, brought the landmark paperwork and plaque to the church himself.
From "While the World Watched: A Birmingham Bombing Survivor Comes of Age during the Civil Rights Movement" by Carolyn Maull McKinstry
"This is one of the largest marriage fraud prosecutions in United States history," Attorney General Todd Blanche said at a press conference in Washington.
From Barron's ● Aug. 12, 2026
The release of the body camera footage by Attorney General Letitia James on Dec. 27 led to the firing of 13 guards and the indictment of six by a grand jury.
From Slate ● Aug. 11, 2026
If the original verdict is upheld, they will consider taking their case to the Attorney General and HM Coroner.
From BBC ● Aug. 6, 2026
New Mexico’s Attorney General Raúl Torrez, who is behind the lawsuit, argues that the DOJ unlawfully withheld records, therefore delaying justice for victims.
From Salon ● Aug. 5, 2026
The message from Attorney General Wayne MacVeagh, on behalf of the entire cabinet, informed Arthur that Garfield had died.
From "Ambushed!" by Gail Jarrow
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
