attorney general

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noun,plural attorneys general, attorney generals.
  1. the chief law officer of a country or state and head of its legal department. Abbreviation: att. gen.

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

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Origin of attorney general

1
First recorded in 1575–85

Words Nearby attorney general

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use attorney general in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for attorney general (1 of 2)

attorney general

nounplural attorneys general or attorney generals
  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

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

British Dictionary definitions for Attorney General (2 of 2)

Attorney General

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

  1. (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