a law officer who maintains the rights of the state in suits affecting the public interest, next in rank to the attorney general.
the chief legal officer in some states.
(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.
(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
(in New Zealand) the government's chief lawyer: head of the Crown Law Office and prosecutor for the Crown
First recorded in 1525–35
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Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The jail sentence of Vickrum Digwa, who was convicted of the murder of Henry Nowak, has been referred to the Court of Appeal by the solicitor general under the Unduly Lenient Sentence scheme.
From BBC • Jun. 15, 2026
Eric Feigin, a deputy solicitor general, said the government probably could not obtain a search warrant for all storage units or hotel rooms, but a Google search is different because it is a software filter.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 27, 2026
The solicitor general sought to “expand” these “tiny” and “idiosyncratic” classes to cover a “big group” of immigrants today, Roberts noted.
From Slate • Apr. 1, 2026
He joined the FTC as a minority commissioner in 2024, after serving as Virginia’s solicitor general.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 8, 2026
"It's the sn ... the porcupine killers," said the solicitor general.
From Attention Saint Patrick by Leinster, Murray
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
