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

Florida’s attorney general is suing to stop OpenAI from developing new AI models after the technology went rogue and hacked third-party services. — Michael Kan, PC Magazine, 28 Sep. 2026

The state attorneys general likewise defended the deal, including the five-year term. — Gene Maddaus, Variety, 28 Sep. 2026

Under legislation known as Assembly Bill 1770, the attorney general will decide what actions justice officials should take to ensure private arbitrations required by any health plan are handled fairly and in line with state law. — Melody Petersen, Los Angeles Times, 28 Sep. 2026

Krell spent her career in the legal field, working as a lawyer for Planned Parenthood Affiliates of California, before becoming a deputy attorney general for the state. — Sofia Williams, Sacbee.com, 27 Sep. 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