attorney general

American

noun

plural

attorneys general, attorney generals

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

(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
(in the US) the chief law officer and legal adviser to the Administration: head of the Department of Justice and member of the cabinet
(in Australia and New Zealand) the chief government law officer: a member of Parliament and usually a cabinet minister

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

attorney general ² British

noun

a country's chief law officer and senior legal adviser to its government
(in the US) the chief law officer and legal adviser of a state government
(in some states of the US) a public prosecutor

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

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

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Pam Bondi is out as attorney general, the latest in a line of high-profile Trump administration women to be sacked in recent weeks.

From Slate • Apr. 3, 2026

In the first days after Pam Bondi was appointed attorney general last year, the Department of Justice began shutting down pending criminal cases at a record pace.

From Salon • Apr. 1, 2026

Bonta is asking courts to tell Bianco that he’s not a law unto himself, and does in fact answer to the state attorney general.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 31, 2026

The spokesperson added that the attorney general is “proud to advance his lawsuit against Exxon Mobil and looks forward to vigorously litigating this case in court.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 30, 2026

Among them was Sargent Prentiss Freeling, a former Oklahoma attorney general and a staunch advocate of states’ rights.

From "Killers of the Flower Moon" by David Grann

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023