attorney general
Hello, you have come here looking for the meaning of the word attorney general. In DICTIOUS you will not only get to know all the dictionary meanings for the word attorney general, but we will also tell you about its etymology, its characteristics and you will know how to say attorney general in singular and plural. Everything you need to know about the word attorney general you have here. The definition of the word attorney general will help you to be more precise and correct when speaking or writing your texts. Knowing the definition ofattorney general, as well as those of other words, enriches your vocabulary and provides you with more and better linguistic resources.
See also: Attorney-General and attorney-general
English
Alternative forms
Etymology
From Anglo-Norman/Law French, (modern French avocat général or procureur général), hence the unusual order of adjective following noun, instead of idiomatic English *general attorney. Compare court martial, notary public, secretary general, surgeon general.
Noun
attorney general (plural attorneys general or attorney generals)
- A major government officer throughout the English-speaking world, generally responsible for interpreting the law for the head of government and executive department and functioning as chief prosecutor, with the ability to bring civil and criminal actions directly.
- Janet Reno was US Attorney General under Bill Clinton.
- 1595 December 9 (first known performance), William Shakespeare, “The life and death of King Richard the Second”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies: Published According to the True Originall Copies (First Folio), London: Isaac Iaggard, and Ed Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, , page 29, column 2:
- If you do wrongfully ſeize Herford's right, / call in his Letters Patents that he hath / By his Atturneyes generall, to ſue […]
Synonyms
Derived terms
Related terms
Translations
major government officer
|