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Synonyms

district attorney

American  

noun

  • district attorneys
    plural
  1. an officer who acts as attorney for the people or government within a specified district.


district attorney British  

noun

  1. (in the US) the state prosecuting officer in a specified judicial district

"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

district attorney Cultural  
  1. An official responsible for representing the government in court cases and for prosecuting criminals.


Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

Etymology

Origin of district attorney

An Americanism dating back to 1780–90

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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:

At the time, the district attorney said he was weighing whether to seek the death penalty.

From BBC Sep. 9, 2026

The district attorney presumably makes the final decision to retry Clancy.

From Slate Sep. 4, 2026

The district attorney “remains committed to seeking justice for Mr. Thompson and his family,” an office spokesman said.

From The Wall Street Journal Aug. 14, 2026

When the district attorney later dropped the investigation, citing lack of evidence, Hahn publicly condemned Bycel.

From Los Angeles Times Aug. 11, 2026

But Washington's district attorney, George Corkhill, wasn't ready to take the case before the grand jury.

From "Ambushed!" by Gail Jarrow

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