attorney general

attorney general

noun

: the chief lawyer of a country or state who represents the government in legal matters

plural attorneys general or attorney generals

Full Definition of ATTORNEY GENERAL

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

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First Known Use of ATTORNEY GENERAL

1585

attorney general

noun    (Concise Encyclopedia)

Chief law-enforcement officer of a state and legal adviser to the chief executive. The office dates to the Middle Ages but did not assume its modern form until the 16th century. In the U.S., the position dates to the Judiciary Act of 1789. Head of the Department of Justice and a member of the cabinet, the attorney general oversees all the government's law business and acts as the president's legal adviser. Every U.S. state also has an attorney general.