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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

The solicitor general said a new and secure ballroom is also crucial for social gatherings and foreign dignitaries.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 18, 2026

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

Gov. Jeff Landry, a Republican who served as attorney general for eight years, during which time he hired Murrill as the state’s solicitor general, opposed 10 of 12 compensation claims during his tenure.

From Salon ● Aug. 10, 2026

The solicitor general watched them depart on a wedding journey to a cottage in Ballyhanninch, which was on Donegal Peninsular, fronting on the Emmett Sea.

From Attention Saint Patrick by Murray Leinster

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

Appearing for the Goa government, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta urged the high court to impose the maximum sentence on Tejpal.

From BBC ● Aug. 6, 2026

There was a really striking moment between Justice Jackson and Solicitor General John Sauer, where he essentially said, None of those statements that you just quoted actually mention race.

From Slate ● May 4, 2026

It's not feasible to have 50 different states coming out with their own determinations, Deputy Solicitor General Sarah Harris said.

From Barron's ● Apr. 27, 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