[Ads-l] attorneys generals

Baker, John JBAKER at STRADLEY.COM
Mon Nov 27 19:40:33 UTC 2017


As a practicing lawyer, I’m under the impression that the correct plural is “attorneys general.”  Unhelpfully, the brief referenced by the Washington Post article does not use “attorney general” in the plural, which left it up to the Post writer and editor to come to their own decision.

It looks like the Post has now changed the article to read “attorneys general.”


John Baker



From: American Dialect Society [mailto:ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU] On Behalf Of MULLINS, WILLIAM D (Bill) CIV USARMY RDECOM AMRDEC (US)
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Subject: attorneys generals

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I've seen both "attorneys general" and "attorney generals" used as plural for "attorney general" (and both have been discussed here, as well).

But the Washington Post recently used "attorneys generals":
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/courts_law/supreme-court-wont-review-marylands-law-banning-sales-of-assault-weapons/2017/11/27/ad68ce42-d380-11e7-95bf-df7c19270879_story.html<https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/courts_law/supreme-court-wont-review-marylands-law-banning-sales-of-assault-weapons/2017/11/27/ad68ce42-d380-11e7-95bf-df7c19270879_story.html>

" But attorneys generals in 21 states had asked the court to step in."

Typo? Mistake on the part of the author? Correct but uncommon usage?


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