attorney

[uh-tur-nee]

noun

plural

attorneys 

1. a lawyer; attorney-at-law.

2. an attorney-in-fact; agent.

attorney

/ əˈtɜːnɪ /

noun

1. a person legally appointed or empowered to act for another

2. a lawyer qualified to represent clients in legal proceedings

3. a solicitor

Other Word Forms

• attorneyship noun
• subattorney noun
• subattorneyship noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of attorney¹

1250–1300; Middle English < Anglo-French attourne literally, “(one who is) turned to,” i.e., “(one who is) appointed,” past participle of attourner “to attorn ”

Word History and Origins

Origin of attorney¹

C14: from Old French atourné, from atourner to direct to; see _attorn

Example Sentences

‘I’m at a loss’: My boyfriend of nearly 10 years is naming his elderly parents as beneficiaries and giving them power of attorney.

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Earlier this week, a group of 20 Democratic attorneys general said in a statement that the FDA’s decision to review the drug “ignores decades of research that proves mifepristone is safe and effective.”

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At the time, Lincoln had been a licensed attorney for 1½ years; he still shared cramped bachelor lodgings above a general store.

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The attorney general at the time, Merrick Garland, had ordered round-the-clock security at justices’ homes in light of the leaked draft opinion.

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A spokesman for the Brooklyn U.S. attorney’s office declined to comment, as did Lou’s lawyers.

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