Why is it 'attorney general' and not 'general attorney'?

It follows a postpositive adjective pattern borrowed from French (e.g., 'court martial', 'heir apparent'), where the noun comes first and the adjective follows.

Is the Attorney General the same as the Minister of Justice?

In some countries, like the US, the roles are combined. In others, like the UK, the Attorney General is a distinct role from the Lord Chancellor (Minister of Justice).

Can the Attorney General be a prosecutor?

In the US system, yes, as head of the DOJ. In the UK, the Attorney General superintends but does not personally conduct most prosecutions, which are handled by the Crown Prosecution Service.

How do you pronounce 'attorney general'?

The stress is typically on 'tor' in 'attorney' and the first syllable of 'general': /ə-TOR-nee JEN-er-əl/.

attorney general

UK/əˌtɜː.ni ˈdʒen.ər.əl/US/əˌtɝː.ni ˈdʒen.ər.əl/

Formal, Legal, Governmental, Journalistic

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Definition

Meaning

The principal legal officer who represents the government in legal matters and heads the justice department.

A title for the chief law officer of a national or state government, responsible for advising the government on legal matters, representing it in court, and overseeing law enforcement and prosecution policies.

Linguistics

Semantic Notes

The term is a compound noun where 'attorney' is modified by the postpositive adjective 'general'. It refers to a specific office, not a general type of attorney. The plural is 'attorneys general' or, less formally, 'attorney generals'.

Dialectal Variation

British vs American Usage

Differences

In the UK, the Attorney General is a senior government minister and legal advisor to the Crown. In the US, the Attorney General is the head of the Department of Justice and a member of the President's cabinet. The role is more politically independent in the UK system.

Connotations

UK: A political appointment from among Members of Parliament, combining legal and ministerial duties. US: The nation's top law enforcement officer, often a central figure in political and legal controversies.

Frequency

High frequency in political and legal news in both varieties. The US term is more frequently encountered in international media due to the global prominence of US politics.

Vocabulary

Collocations

strong

the Attorney GeneralDeputy Attorney Generaloffice of the Attorney GeneralAttorney General's adviceappoint the Attorney General

medium

former Attorney Generalstate Attorney Generalsolicit the Attorney GeneralActing Attorney GeneralAttorney General's guidelines

weak

meet with the Attorney Generalcriticise the Attorney GeneralAttorney General's rulingAttorney General's consent

Grammar

Valency Patterns

The Attorney General + verb (advised, ruled, announced)under + the Attorney Generalappointed as + Attorney Generalreferred to + the Attorney General

Vocabulary

Synonyms

Strong

(UK) Law Officer of the Crown(US) AG (abbreviation)

Neutral

chief legal officertop government lawyerhead of justice

Weak

government counselprincipal legal advisor

Vocabulary

Antonyms

defendantprivate attorneyopposition lawyer

Phrases

Idioms & Phrases

“The Attorney General's conscience (UK, historical reference to the role's ethical dimension)”

Usage

Context Usage

Business

Rare, except in contexts of regulatory compliance or government contracts.

Academic

Used in political science, law, and public administration texts discussing government structure.

Everyday

Primarily encountered in news reports about government decisions or legal controversies.

Technical

Central term in constitutional law, administrative law, and political journalism.

Examples

By Part of Speech

adjective

British English

The Attorney-General's guidelines were published.
An Attorney-General's reference was made to the Court of Appeal.

American English

The Attorney General's office issued a statement.
An Attorney General opinion carries significant weight.

Examples

By CEFR Level

The Attorney General is an important job in the government.

The Attorney General gives legal advice to the government.

The Attorney General decided not to prosecute the case, citing insufficient evidence.

Critics accused the Attorney General of making a politically motivated intervention in the independent prosecution process.

Learning

Memory Aids

Mnemonic

Think: The GENERAL of all the government's ATTORNEYS. He/she commands the legal forces.

Conceptual Metaphor

THE GOVERNMENT IS A PERSON (the Attorney General is its legal voice and conscience).

Watch out

Common Pitfalls

Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)

Do not translate as 'генеральный адвокат' (incorrect). The correct equivalent is 'генеральный прокурор' or 'министр юстиции', though the roles are not perfectly congruent. The UK role is closer to 'генеральный атторней' (a direct borrowing).

Common Mistakes

Incorrect plural: 'attorney generals' is common but 'attorneys general' is traditionally correct. Incorrect word order: 'general attorney'. Forgetting the capital letters when referring to a specific officeholder: 'The Attorney General announced...'.

Practice

Quiz

Fill in the gap

After the scandal, the Prime Minister was forced to seek advice from the .

Multiple Choice

What is the traditionally correct plural form of 'attorney general'?

FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

: It follows a postpositive adjective pattern borrowed from French (e.g., 'court martial', 'heir apparent'), where the noun comes first and the adjective follows.
: In some countries, like the US, the roles are combined. In others, like the UK, the Attorney General is a distinct role from the Lord Chancellor (Minister of Justice).
: In the US system, yes, as head of the DOJ. In the UK, the Attorney General superintends but does not personally conduct most prosecutions, which are handled by the Crown Prosecution Service.
: The stress is typically on 'tor' in 'attorney' and the first syllable of 'general': /ə-TOR-nee JEN-er-əl/.