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.

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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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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

The solicitor general, he noted, kept saying that the Civil Rights Act of 1866 denied birthright citizenship to children who were “subject to any foreign power.”

From Slate • Apr. 1, 2026

The former justice secretary also previously served as Welsh secretary, prisons and probation minister and solicitor general.

From BBC • Mar. 23, 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

A spokesperson for the Department of Education said in an email that funding for HSIs was cut because the solicitor general found it unconstitutional, in a response to that lawsuit.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 3, 2026

Half an hour later the president told the solicitor general of Eire about it.

From Attention Saint Patrick by Leinster, Murray