attic

¹ American  

[at-ik] / ˈæt ɪk /

noun

1. the part of a building, especially of a house, directly under a roof; garret.

2. a room or rooms in an attic.

3. a low story or decorative wall above an entablature or the main cornice of a building.

4. Anatomy. the upper part of the tympanic cavity of the ear.

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Attic ² American  

[at-ik] / ˈæt ɪk /

adjective

1. of, relating to, or characteristic of Greece or of Athens.

2. (often lowercase) displaying simple elegance, incisive intelligence, and delicate wit.

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noun

1. the dialect of ancient Attica that became the standard language of Classical Greek literature in the 5th and 4th centuries b.c.

Attic ¹ British  

/ ˈætɪk /

adjective

1. of or relating to Attica, its inhabitants, or the dialect of Greek spoken there, esp in classical times

2. (often not capital) classically elegant, simple, or pure

   an Attic style

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noun

1. the dialect of Ancient Greek spoken and written in Athens: the chief literary dialect of classical Greek See also Aeolic Arcadic Doric Ionic

attic ² British  

/ ˈætɪk /

noun

1. a space or room within the roof of a house

2. architect a storey or low wall above the cornice of a classical façade

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Other Word Forms

• non-Attic adjective

Etymology

Origin of attic¹

First recorded in 1690–1700; special use of Attic

Origin of Attic²

1555–65; < Latin Atticus < Greek Attikós

Explanation

An attic is an unfinished room at the very top of a house, just below the roof. It’s often the setting for creepy stories because it’s a room people don’t go in very often. A finished attic is extra space you can use for a playroom, bedroom, or storage area. In fiction, it’s a great place to stash crazy people. In Charlotte Bronte’s book Jane Eyre, there’s a madwoman in the attic. Some attics don't even have floors that can be walked on, though — they're just empty space at the top of a house. An attic was originally called an attic storey, from the architectural term Attic order.

Example Sentences

Think Human festival committee member Gary Browning said the Iris Murdoch Society had recently found the previously unpublished poems in the attic of her house on 30 Charlbury Road.

From BBC • Apr. 11, 2026

A bundle of letters from a school in California, which were found a few years ago in an attic in Rhydyfelin near Pontypridd, show how the disaster touched people around the world.

From BBC • Apr. 4, 2026

The ’90s-themed attic, which he says is a metaphor for his mind, serves as the backdrop for his latest project: a podcast called “Big Bro With Kid Cudi,” premiering Wednesday via Wave Sports and Entertainment.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 1, 2026

Just days before Netflix airs a serialised adaptation of the novel, hundreds of curious visitors have come to the museum, squeezing past one another on the narrow wooden stairs up to Basmaci's attic room.

From Barron's • Feb. 13, 2026

The next day, on my break, Januka tells a story about a woman on the other side of Przemyśl, across the San, who was hiding Jews in an attic.

From "The Light in Hidden Places" by Sharon Cameron