Synonyms

attend

American

[uh-tend] / əˈtɛnd /

verb (used with object)

to be present at.

to attend a lecture; to attend church.
to go with as a concomitant or result; accompany.

Fever may attend a cold. Success attended her hard work.
to take care of; minister to; devote one's services to.

The nurse attended the patient daily.
to wait upon; accompany as a companion or servant.

The retainers attended their lord.
to take charge of; watch over; look after; tend; guard.

to attend one's health.
to listen to; give heed to.
Archaic. to wait for; expect.

verb (used without object)

to take care or charge.

to attend to a sick person.
to apply oneself.

to attend to one's work.
to pay attention; listen or watch attentively; direct one's thought; pay heed.

to attend to a speaker.
to be present.

She is a member but does not attend regularly.
to be present and ready to give service; wait (usually followed by on orupon ).

to attend upon the Queen.
to follow; be consequent (usually followed by on orupon ).
Obsolete. to wait.

attend British

/ əˈtɛnd /

verb

to be present at (an event, meeting, etc)
to give care; minister
to pay attention; listen
(tr; often passive) to accompany or follow

a high temperature attended by a severe cough
(intr; foll by on or upon) to follow as a consequence (of)
to devote one's time; apply oneself

to attend to the garden
(tr) to escort or accompany
(intr; foll by on or upon) to wait (on); serve; provide for the needs (of)

to attend on a guest
archaic (tr) to wait for; expect
obsolete (intr) to delay

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Synonym Usage

See accompany.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

Conjugated Forms

Present

Past

Future

Etymology

Origin of attend

First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English atenden, from Anglo-French, Old French atendre, from Latin attendere “to bend to, notice,” from at- at- + tendere “to stretch, extend, proceed”; cf. tend ¹

Explanation

The verb attend means to be present, to listen, or give care or attention to. You can attend your family reunion, attend to a project you've been ignoring, or attend to your teacher's voice. When you use attend as "pay attention" or "take care of," it's followed by "to." When you use attend as in "attend a party," you don't. If you attend a political rally, you'll want to attend to what the politicians have to say. When you take attendance, you are checking which students have chosen to attend class, i.e. who is in attendance.

Keep Reading on Vocabulary.com

Vocabulary lists containing attend

"The Gift of the Magi" by O. Henry

Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!

"Rikki-Tikki-Tavi" by Rudyard Kipling

Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!

Mother's Day Words: What Mothers Do

Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

For the 5,500 local fans with tickets to attend -- the lucky ones among a lottery entered by 33,000 -- optimism for the tournament about to kick off in their backyard was even brighter.

From Barron's • Jun. 9, 2026

New York City is bracing for a heavy security operation as President Trump plans to attend the first NBA Finals game to be held in the city in 27 years.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 8, 2026

Christopher Kirwan addressed McGovern directly, referencing when he fled Ireland and missed the chance to attend his own father's funeral, asking: "Was it really worth it, Sean?"

From BBC • Jun. 8, 2026

Adult school students are able to enroll their own children at the Bradley Early Education Center, so they can attend class and study.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 8, 2026

Father didn’t like the attention: “It has caused a great deal of trouble and anxiety … it is impossible for us to attend to our daily occupations.”

From "American Spirits" by Barb Rosenstock

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023