solicitor general

American  

noun

plural

solicitors general

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.

---

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

---

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

Kise is a longtime Florida Republican power player who served as the state’s solicitor general and has argued before the U.S.

From Salon

The solicitor general urged the justices to remove Cook, saying the president would suffer “irreparable harm” if she was able to remain at the Fed as the case proceeded through the courts.

From MarketWatch

Representing Cook, Washington attorney Paul Clement, a former U.S. solicitor general under President George W. Bush, told the court said there is an “unbroken history” of treating the Federal Reserve board as independent.

From Los Angeles Times

"Even if it's inadvertent or a mistake, it's quite a big mistake," said solicitor general D John Sauer, who was arguing the case for the administration.

From BBC

In fact, the enormous stakes have prompted the U.S. solicitor general to file a brief in support of Chevron’s request for removal to federal court.

From The Wall Street Journal