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.
Mark Joseph Stern: Justice Barrett had a lot of skeptical questions for the solicitor general.
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
Trump’s solicitor general, D. John Sauer, previously served as Missouri’s solicitor general under state attorneys general Josh Hawley and Eric Schmitt.
From Salon • Feb. 18, 2026
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 • Jan. 21, 2026
They will be wonderfully fitted for the posts of attorney and solicitor general, but will excel, above all, as licensers for the stage.
From The Works of Samuel Johnson, Volume 06 Reviews, Political Tracts, and Lives of Eminent Persons by Johnson, Samuel
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.
