the chief law officer of a country or state and head of its legal department. att. gen.
Attorney General, the head of the U.S. Department of Justice: a member of the president's cabinet. Atty. Gen.
(in the United Kingdom except Scotland) the senior law officer and chief legal counsel of the Crown: a member of the government and of the House of Commons
(in the US) the chief law officer and legal adviser to the Administration: head of the Department of Justice and member of the cabinet
(in Australia and New Zealand) the chief government law officer: a member of Parliament and usually a cabinet minister
a country's chief law officer and senior legal adviser to its government
(in the US) the chief law officer and legal adviser of a state government
(in some states of the US) a public prosecutor
First recorded in 1575–85
How does attorney-general compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
When a Dallas Morning News political writer asked Paxton why he voted in Collin County, the attorney general shook his head as a campaign aide interceded.
From Salon ● Jul. 28, 2026
State law requires the secretary to “promptly” refer complaints to the attorney general if “there is reasonable cause to suspect that criminal conduct occurred.”
From Salon ● Jul. 28, 2026
Rob Bonta, attorney general of California, which is leading a coalition of 12 states which last week sued to block the deal, welcomed the agreement.
From Barron's ● Jul. 24, 2026
See the number of politicians leaving successful House careers to hunt the attorney general title: Keith Ellison of Minnesota, Jeff Jackson of North Carolina, Chip Roy of Texas.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 22, 2026
“Bill Baxley, Alabama’s attorney general, reopened the case, and Chambliss’s own niece is testifying against him. He’s the first of the bombers to come to trial.”
From "While the World Watched: A Birmingham Bombing Survivor Comes of Age during the Civil Rights Movement" by Carolyn Maull McKinstry
Idaho Attorney General Raúl Labrador paid tribute to the victims' families, saying they had "already endured unimaginable loss and now must face today's deeply painful news".
From BBC ● Jul. 28, 2026
Paramount has pushed for a November trial, while California Attorney General Rob Bonta told The Wall Street Journal he favors a January start date.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 27, 2026
Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche sits for a largely symbolic spectacle of a confirmation hearing; ICE agents kill two more men in Texas and Maine; and 12 states sue to block the Paramount-Warner Bros. merger.
From Slate ● Jul. 16, 2026
ConserveOhio completed the first three steps by April, getting approval from the Ohio Attorney General to move forward with signature collection at the beginning of the month.
From Salon ● Jul. 9, 2026
The Attorney General told Mr. Pendanski to get the boys something to drink and eat.
From "Holes" by Louis Sachar
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.
