attorney general

American  

noun

plural

attorneys general, attorney generals

1. the chief law officer of a country or state and head of its legal department. att. gen.

2. Attorney General, the head of the U.S. Department of Justice: a member of the president's cabinet. Atty. Gen.

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Attorney General ¹ British  

noun

1. (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

2. (in the US) the chief law officer and legal adviser to the Administration: head of the Department of Justice and member of the cabinet

3. (in Australia and New Zealand) the chief government law officer: a member of Parliament and usually a cabinet minister

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attorney general ² British  

noun

1. a country's chief law officer and senior legal adviser to its government

2. (in the US) the chief law officer and legal adviser of a state government

3. (in some states of the US) a public prosecutor

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Etymology

Origin of attorney general

First recorded in 1575–85

Compare meaning

How does attorney-general compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• solicitor general vs. attorney general

Example Sentences

It’s estimated that half of the department’s attorneys—roughly 5,500—were either fired or resigned since she became attorney general.

From Slate • Apr. 2, 2026

As deputy attorney general, he had a hand in many of the decisions as to the day-to-day operations of the department under Bondi — including on the handling of the Epstein files.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 2, 2026

In the first days after Pam Bondi was appointed attorney general last year, the Department of Justice began shutting down pending criminal cases at a record pace.

From Salon • Apr. 1, 2026

The spokesperson added that the attorney general is “proud to advance his lawsuit against Exxon Mobil and looks forward to vigorously litigating this case in court.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 30, 2026

Oklahoma’s attorney general said, “Too much credit cannot be given these gentlemen.”

From "Killers of the Flower Moon" by David Grann