judge advocate general

American  

noun

Military.

judge advocates general, plural judge advocate generals plural

1. the chief legal officer of an army, navy, or air force.

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judge advocate general British  

noun

1. the civil adviser to the Crown on matters relating to courts martial and on military law generally

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Other Word Forms

Inflected Forms

noun

• judge advocate generals
  plural
• judge advocates general
  plural

Etymology

Origin of judge advocate general

First recorded in 1860–65

Example Sentences

He is also a veteran who served in the Navy as a judge advocate general.

From Los Angeles Times • May 1, 2026

Navy judge advocate general officer, and Michele Morrow, a former candidate for state superintendent, are also running for the Republican Senate nomination.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 20, 2025

Starting in the early 1900s, Congress enacted predecessors to Section 12406 that used the term in this way; members of the armed forces, including the Army’s judge advocate general, confirmed this interpretation.

From Slate • Oct. 30, 2025

Navy judge advocate general in Iraq and an assistant professor of law at the U.S.

From Seattle Times • Oct. 20, 2022

Not long afterward he became judge advocate general of the Wyoming National Guard.

From Buffalo Bill's Spy Trailer Or, The Stranger in Camp by Ingraham, Prentiss