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

So, the attorney general decided to sue first. —Jackson Thompson, FOXNews.com, 16 Jan. 2026

Like in the attorney general’s race, the top two vote-getters in the June primary will move on to the general election. —Claire Wang, Oc Register, 15 Jan. 2026

This agreement concludes a lawsuit filed in April 2020, in which the Texas attorney general’s office accused Cal-Maine of illegally increasing egg prices by up to 300 percent during the pandemic. —Imelda García, Dallas Morning News, 15 Jan. 2026

Several investigations into xAI have been opened, including by the California attorney general’s office and by European countries such as France and the UK. —Bloomberg, Mercury News, 15 Jan. 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