which is correct attorneys general or attorney generals

by Joan Bartell 8 min read

So the plural goes on the noun, and the proper form is “attorneys general.” Unless you’re British. Then you can call them “attorney-generals,” but don’t forget the hyphen.

In American English, attorneys general is the correct plural form. The British prefer attorney-generals (the Brits have long hyphenated the phrase).May 1, 2013

Full Answer

What is the difference between US attorney and Attorney General?

Hello, Games & Quizzes Thesaurus Word of the Day Features Buying Guide. link icon. M-W Books. link icon. Subscribe to Unabridged. Word List Icon. My Words. My Words.

Does Attorney General have to be an attorney?

Mar 04, 2017 · In the phrase attorney general, attorney is the main part, and the word general is descriptive—it tells us what kind of attorney we have to deal with. It’s the same rule we follow for similar phrases such as sister-in-law and editor in chief. You make the main noun plural: I have two sisters-in-law. The Atlantic has had 14 editors in chief.

What are the requirements to become an attorney general?

The more English way to say it would be the general attorney ... The attorney that represents the general public ... and the plural would be the general attorneys. But as you pointed out, it's a holdover from French and the adjective follows the noun ... thus attorneys general.

Who is the current Attorney General?

Feb 18, 2013 · With “Attorney General,” general modifies the noun attorney. Thus, when there is more than one Attorney General, you would write “Attorneys General.”. This makes sense. You make the noun plural by adding an “s” to it. The WSJ Law Blog wrote a …

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What is the correct plural for attorney general?

attorneys general“General” here, though, is an adjective, not a noun; you can think of them as “general attorneys.” So the plural goes on the noun, and the proper form is “attorneys general.”Mar 21, 2016

What is the possessive form of attorney general?

Thus attorneys general's is correct. Attorney General's is the possessive form of Attorney General.Feb 9, 2020

Why is Attorney General plural?

Why is it “Attorneys General” (plural) but not “Attorney's General” (singular possessive)? With “Attorney General,” general modifies the noun attorney. Thus, when there is more than one Attorney General, you would write “Attorneys General.” This makes sense. You make the noun plural by adding an “s” to it.Feb 18, 2013

What is plural of power of attorney?

power of attorney. noun. plural powers of attorney. Britannica Dictionary definition of POWER OF ATTORNEY.

Why do they say attorneys general?

The term was originally used to refer to any person who holds a general power of attorney to represent a principal in all matters. In the common law tradition, anyone who represents the state, especially in criminal prosecutions, is such an attorney.

Do attorneys fees have apostrophes?

Although inelegant, attorney fees is becoming more common — presumably to avoid making a decision on the apostrophe altogether. The one variant to avoid at all costs is *attorneys fees, which is a possessive form with the apostrophe wrongly omitted.

Is the Attorney General a general?

Merrick GarlandUnited States / Attorney generalMerrick Brian Garland is an American lawyer and jurist serving as the 86th United States attorney general since March 2021. He served as a circuit judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit from 1997 to 2021. Wikipedia

What is the plural of district attorney?

The plural form of district attorney is district attorneys.

What is the plural of major general?

major general in American English Word forms: plural major generals.

Is it power or powers of attorney?

A power of attorney (POA) is a legal document giving one person (the agent or attorney-in-fact) the power to act for another person, the principal.

What is the plural of power?

power. Plural. powers. The plural form of power; more than one (kind of) power.

What is the plural of Dragon?

dragon /ˈdrægən/ noun. plural dragons.

What Is the Plural of 'Deputy Attorney General'?

Update: After the podcast aired, we got an interesting follow-up question: What is the plural of deputy attorney general ?

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Mignon Fogarty is the founder of Quick and Dirty Tips and the author of seven books on language, including the New York Times bestseller " Grammar Girl's Quick and Dirty Tips for Better Writing ." She is an inductee in the Podcasting Hall of Fame, and the show is a five-time winner of Best Education Podcast in the Podcast Awards.

Is "general" an adjective?

The adjective comes before noun ... brigadier general, major general, lieutenant general ... thus brigadier generals, major generals, lieutenant generals. General is the noun, not the adjective, in the military rank. Whereas in attorney general, it is the adjective. To add to AnWulf ... nor in the British army.

Is "general" a compound noun?

It's a compound noun where the second word is basically an adjective that describes the preceding noun, or "head.". In this case, "general" describes "attorney.". Ah, the joy of head-first compound nouns. A regular compound noun - "military funeral," for instance - has the head at the end.

Is "sergeant major" plural or singular?

One way to see it is that a sergeant-major is a type or grade of sergeant, whereas lieutenant-general is a type of grade of general. The main nouns are sergeant and general respectively, so they take the plural, not the classifying word. Warsaw Will Nov-11-2011. 4 votes Permalink Report Abuse.

Is "agtorney general" a noun?

However - right now 'attorney general' is a noun in and of itself. Therefore attorney generals is fine - and we don't need permission to use it - we can just use it. Of course you can use it. However the unfortunate fact is that common usage does not always mean correct usage.

Is a sergeant a major or a general?

It's easiest to see when you compare a major general and a sergeant major. The first is a kind of general (not a kind of major) and so it's general that is pluralised. The latter is a type of sergeant (also not a kind of major), so it's sergeant that takes the plural s. Major generals, but sergeants major.

Is "general" a noun?

When we say “general” in “attorney general,” “surgeon general,” and “postmater general,” it is not meant as a rank as in the military sense, and it is not even a noun. It is an adjective meaning “chief or principal.”. It is the same sense as in “general manger.”.

Is a major general a class?

Like a lieutenant general or a brigadier general, a major general is a class of general, so it's general that takes the plural. "The four will be commissioned as Army major generals for an approximate two-year term while serving intermittently in this role.". - Oxford Online.

When was the term "attorney general" first used?

The first known use of the term “attorney general” occurred in England in 1398 in a certificate from the Duke of Norfolk’s four attorneys general. These lawyers were known at first as general attorneys, and later came to be known as attorneys general. Hence, the awkward phrasing.

Is "Attorney General" plural or singular?

With “Attorney General,” general modifies the noun attorney. Thus, when there is more than one Attorney General, you would write “Attorneys General.”. This makes sense. You make the noun plural by adding an “s” to it.

Who is the only general in the Supreme Court?

The only General at the Supreme Court is General Suter. But why does it get messed up when you make it possessive. Say, for example, you wanted to refer to a brief the Attorney General filed. I would think it is correct to write “the Attorney’s General brief.”. But that sounds off.

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