attorney-general
UK[əˌtɜːni ˈdʒenrəl]US[əˌtɜrni ˈdʒenrəl]
n
the chief legal officer of a country or state, who advises the government and represents it in important legal matters
Morpheme Breakdown
attorney
general
attorney
legal agent
general
chief
Etymology
The term "attorney-general" is a compound noun formed in Middle English from the Anglo-French legal term 'attourne general'. The word 'attorney' originates from the Old French 'atorner', meaning "to assign or appoint," referring to someone appointed to act on another's behalf in legal matters. 'General' derives from the Latin 'generalis', meaning "pertaining to all," and in this context signifies an officer with comprehensive, non-specific jurisdiction over all legal affairs of the state, as opposed to a private attorney. The hyphenated form solidified in English to denote the singular, chief legal officer who serves as the principal advisor to the sovereign or government, blending the concept of a appointed legal agent with overarching, national authority.
Analysis
Structure: attorney (legal agent) + general (chief)
attorney: From Old French 'atorné', past participle of 'atorner' meaning "to assign, appoint". In this compound, it functions as the core noun meaning a legal agent.
general: From Latin 'generalis' meaning "pertaining to all, of a whole class". In this compound, it functions as an adjective meaning "chief, having overall authority".
Examples
The Attorney-General will issue a formal opinion on the constitutionality of the proposed law.
She was appointed as the first woman to serve as Attorney-General in the country's history.
The case was referred directly to the office of the Attorney-General due to its national significance.