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

The attorney general is not enforcing the law as that suit plays out. — Mary Murphy, Twin Cities, 2 Aug. 2026

Florida’s secretary of state and attorney general are Republicans, and the party holds the majority in both chambers of the state Legislature. — Terry Collins, USA Today, 1 Aug. 2026

The guardrails, passed by the legislature more than two years ago with bipartisan support, tasked the New York attorney general with drafting the final rules. — Cayla Bamberger, New York Daily News, 1 Aug. 2026

Keith Ellison, the attorney general of Minnesota, filed a response to xAI’s lawsuit on Friday, urging the court to deny xAI’s request for a temporary restraining order, to convert it into a preliminary injunction motion, and proceed from there. — Samantha Elkins, NBC news, 31 July 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