solicitor general

noun

|Updated on: 13 Jun 2018

Definition of solicitor general

plural solicitors general

: a law officer appointed primarily to assist an attorney general

See solicitor general defined for English-language learners

Recent Examples of solicitor general from the Web

The order alleges the company deceived the public in an effort to tout its legitimacy by using a photo of Ginsburg and former solicitors generals Theodore Olson, Paul Clement and Seth Waxman.

— l.m. sixel, Houston Chronicle, "Ask yourself: Is Prince Charles really touting crypocurrency?," 16 May 2018
Since last year, George Conway, a prominent attorney whom Trump considered nominating for solicitor general, has been posting and retweeting tweets that have been critical of the President.

— maegan vazquez, CNN, "Kellyanne Conway says asking about her husband's anti-Trump tweets is a 'double standard'," 22 Apr. 2018
Neal Katyal, a former acting solicitor general who drafted the Justice Department’s current regulations in 1999, wrote last year.

— matt ford, The New Republic, "Can the Senate Save Robert Mueller?," 12 Apr. 2018
The solicitor general, Robert Bork, who was next in the chain of command, carried out the decision.

— chris megerian, latimes.com, "As Trump vents anger over Russia probe, some senators propose protecting Mueller from getting fired," 11 Apr. 2018
In a boost to Merck (MRK), the U.S. solicitor general is urging the U.S. Supreme Court to review a case that has broad ramifications for lawsuits filed by consumers against drug makers over product warnings.

— ed silverman, STAT, "Solicitor general urges Supreme Court to review Merck case about warnings," 23 May 2018
Brasher has served as Alabama's solicitor general since 2014.

— mike cason, AL.com, "Trump nominates Alabama solicitor general for federal judgeship," 10 Apr. 2018
Many leading white-collar lawyers, such as former solicitor general Theodore Olson, have declined Trump's entreaties, often citing conflicts or expressing unease about the high-profile case.

— the washington post, OregonLive.com, "She wore a dinosaur puppet during a military oath. It got her and a colonel removed from the job," 19 Apr. 2018
The Senate Historical Office says that hasn’t happened since 2001, when Theodore Olson was confirmed as U.S. solicitor general after the Senate Judiciary Committee rejected his selection on a 9-9 vote.

— laura litvan, Bloomberg.com, "As Pompeo Hits Opposition, Senate GOP Leaders May Bypass Panel," 16 Apr. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'solicitor general.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of solicitor general

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in the meaning defined above

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SOLICITOR GENERAL Defined for English Language Learners

solicitor general

noun

Definition of solicitor general for English Language Learners

: a law officer who assists an attorney general and is just below the attorney general in rank

Law Dictionary

solicitor general

noun

legal Definition of solicitor general

plural solicitors general

: a law officer appointed primarily to assist an attorney general; also : a federal law officer responsible for representing the government in court and especially the U.S. Supreme Court