attend
Americanverb (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.
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
Related Words
See accompany.
Other Word Forms
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.
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.
The 29-year-old, who moved to England to play for London Irish in 2021, will attend next week's camp at the expense of Bath pair Ollie Lawrence and Max Ojomoh.
From BBC • May 18, 2026
Haftar, 82, and his sons -- including Saddam, his heir apparent -- will attend the display of firepower on May 19, along with foreign and Libyan officials.
From Barron's • May 17, 2026
If your child had an emergency or wanted to attend college and needed help with fees and/or living expenses, what happens then?
From MarketWatch • May 16, 2026
He was the first member of his family to attend college, which he paid for by taking out student loans, landing work-study jobs and working summers in a salmon cannery in Cordova, Alaska.
From Los Angeles Times • May 16, 2026
“Well, President Davis, yesterday I moved my family cross-state from White Sulphur Springs, over by the Virginia line, so that the rest of my children can attend the Institute. My daughter Margaret already goes here.”
From "Reaching for the Moon" by Katherine Johnson
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
