attorney general

noun

plural attorneys general or attorney generals

: the chief law officer of a nation or state who represents the government in litigation and serves as its principal legal adviser

Examples of attorney general in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Handfield pushed back on the attorney general's criticism of the ruling. — Chelsea Jones, CBS News, 26 June 2026

Campbell, who previously served on the Boston City Council, and was defeated in her bid for mayor, was elected attorney general in 2022, running on issues like transparency and accountability. — Peter Lucas, Boston Herald, 25 June 2026

Those requirements were put on hold a year ago, when the coalition of attorneys general secured a preliminary injunction that temporarily prohibited federal agencies from enforcing many of the rules set out in the executive order. — Haley Parsley june 24, Sacbee.com, 25 June 2026

Ronald Schutz is the only Republican candidate for attorney general. — Alex Derosier, Twin Cities, 25 June 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1585, in the meaning defined above

Video

Is It 'Attorney Generals' Or 'Attorneys General'?

'Poets laureate'? 'Court-martials'? The curious history of postpositive adjectives in English.

Kids Definition

attorney general

noun

plural attorneys general or attorney generals

: the chief law officer of a nation or state who represents the government in legal matters

Legal Definition

attorney general

noun

plural attorneys general or attorney generals

: the chief law officer of a nation or state who represents the government in litigation and serves as its principal legal advisor