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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Fans can buy $30 t-shirts, $27 baseball hats, and an $8 set of bumper stickers to advertise their support for the attorney general and the makeshift facility he’s credited with coming up with the idea for. — Kate Payne, Miami Herald, 26 Oct. 2026 In 2023, the Illinois attorney general released a detailed report that identified 451 Catholic priests and religious brothers who the investigation found had abused at least 1,997 children across the state’s six Catholic dioceses. — Judy L. Thomas, Kansas City Star, 25 Oct. 2026 He’s seized on the attorney general’s abundant out-of-state travel — for official business, Ford says — to portray him as a high-flier beholden to the special interests that financed his jaunts. — Los Angeles Times, 25 Oct. 2026 Scott Cheney, a Utah assistant attorney general who serves as her principal legal adviser on elections, was out of the country. — Barton Gellman, New Yorker, 25 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for attorney general

Word History

First Known Use

1585, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of attorney general was in 1585

Browse Nearby Words

attorney-at-law
attorney general
attornment
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Attorney general.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/attorney%20general. Accessed 28 Oct. 2026.

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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

More from Merriam-Webster on attorney general

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about attorney general

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