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

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

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

"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 • Jan. 21, 2026

In vain Cardinal Balne obtained from Louis the deprivation of the solicitor general John de Saint Romain: the university united with the magistrates in an appeal to a future council.

From The Power Of The Popes by Daunou, Pierre Claude Fran?ois