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 state’s attorney general filed a legal brief supporting three Native American tribes in California suing Kalshi, arguing that the company is violating federal gaming laws by making its prediction market available on tribal lands. —Suzy Khimm, NBC news, 5 Feb. 2026

The website also provides a collection of links and press releases about specific actions the attorney general's office has taken. —Paula Wethington, CBS News, 5 Feb. 2026

Roy Cooper is the only candidate who spent his career prosecuting violent criminals and keeping thousands of them behind bars as attorney general, and signing tough on crime laws and stricter pretrial release bail policy as governor. —Stepheny Price, FOXNews.com, 4 Feb. 2026

Last February, DeSantis swore Uthmeier in as attorney general. —Alexandra Glorioso, Miami Herald, 4 Feb. 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