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• solicitor general
  solicitor general

  noun

  a law officer who maintains the rights of the state in suits affecting the public interest, next in rank to the attorney general.
• Solicitor General
  Solicitor General

  noun

  (in Britain) the law officer of the Crown ranking next to the Attorney General (in Scotland to the Lord Advocate) and acting as his assistant

solicitor general

American  

noun

• solicitors general
  plural

1. a law officer who maintains the rights of the state in suits affecting the public interest, next in rank to the attorney general.

2. the chief legal officer in some states.

3. (initial capital letters) the law officer of the U.S. government next below the Attorney General, having charge of appeals, as to the Supreme Court.

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Solicitor General British  

noun

1. (in Britain) the law officer of the Crown ranking next to the Attorney General (in Scotland to the Lord Advocate) and acting as his assistant

2. (in New Zealand) the government's chief lawyer: head of the Crown Law Office and prosecutor for the Crown

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• solicitors general
  plural

Etymology

Origin of solicitor general

First recorded in 1525–35

Compare meaning

How does solicitor-general compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• solicitor general vs. attorney general

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

solicitor general Solicitor General

He previously was the solicitor general of Arkansas and a lawyer at Walmart.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 16, 2026

The solicitor general, in the appeal to the Supreme Court, also emphasized the security aspects of the project.

From Barron's ● Aug. 14, 2026

Abbott, a former Texas Supreme Court justice, and Cruz, a former state solicitor general, also discussed the recent U.S.

From Salon ● Jul. 12, 2026

Sotomayor noted that the solicitor general admitted this point at oral argument.

From Slate ● Jun. 29, 2026

The solicitor general, following Sean O'Donohue, saw a black snake wriggling deftly between the legs of the packed populace—packed as if to observe a parade—to get a view from the very edge of the curb.

From Attention Saint Patrick by Murray Leinster

Solicitor General John Sauer described the project in a legal brief as a “concrete-and-steel superstructure” that is already about two-thirds complete and couldn’t be taken down.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 31, 2026

Solicitor General John Sauer, in the appeal to the Supreme Court, also stressed the security aspects of the project and argued that the president has the authority to make changes to the White House.

From Barron's ● Aug. 21, 2026

Solicitor General D. John Sauer told the court the project is already 65% complete and argued that stopping construction would interfere with security improvements at the White House.

From Salon ● Aug. 15, 2026

Solicitor General Ellie Reeves KC MP said she hoped the referral would help to bring justice to Nowak's family.

From BBC ● Jun. 15, 2026

The justices gave little indication of which way they were leaning, though Justice Thurgood Marshall offered a clue in an exchange with Solicitor General Erwin Griswold, who was handling the government’s case.

From "Most Dangerous: Daniel Ellsberg and the Secret History of the Vietnam War" by Steve Sheinkin