solicitor general

noun

|Updated on: 8 Aug 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

In 2015, Olens picked Grant, 40, to be the Attorney General’s Office’s solicitor general — the state’s chief appellate lawyer.

— bill rankin, ajc, "Trump’s short list for high court includes two Georgia justices," 27 June 2018
Katyal, who served as acting solicitor general under Obama, is leading the challenge.

— david g. savage, latimes.com, "Supreme Court leans toward upholding Trump's third try at a travel ban," 25 Apr. 2018
George Conway is a prominent lawyer -- he was considered for solicitor general among other positions by Trump -- who operates an active Twitter feed.

— chris cillizza, CNN, "Kellyanne Conway was dead wrong when she tried to play the gender card this weekend," 23 Apr. 2018
Rosenstein’s Supreme Court appearance is not unprecedented; while attorneys in the solicitor general’s office usually argue cases for the government, other deputy attorneys general, including one James B. Comey, have appeared before the court.

— sari horwitz, Washington Post, "Rod Rosenstein argues first case before the Supreme Court," 23 Apr. 2018
The justices routinely invites solicitors general to weigh in on major potential cases that could affect federal law or foreign policy.

— matt ford, The New Republic, "The Grisly Murder Case That Could Turn Half of Oklahoma Back Into Tribal Lands," 15 Mar. 2018
Kavanaugh also worked in the solicitor general’s office during the George H.W. Bush administration and clerked for Justice Anthony Kennedy.

— refinery29.com, "Meet Judge Brett Kavanaugh, Trump's Supreme Court Nominee," 10 July 2018
Last year, George Conway was under consideration for the role of solicitor general, who argues before the Supreme Court on behalf of the U.S. government.

— katherine nails, Philly.com, "George Conway, lawyer and Kellyanne Conway's husband, makes case for Mueller investigation," 12 June 2018
At the Capitol, reporters crowded around Senator Ted Cruz, a Harvard Law–educated former state solicitor general, to ask if the President indeed has the power to self-pardon.

— tessa berenson, Time, "Donald Trump’s Campaign to Discredit the Russia Investigation May Be Working. It’s Also Damaging American Democracy," 7 June 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

1647

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