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• attic
  attic

  noun

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

  adjective

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

attic

¹ American  

[at-ik] / ˈæt ɪk /

noun

• attics
  plural

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

Derived Forms

• non-Attic
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• attics
  plural

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

See Examples For:

attic Attic attics

The post has 10 million views. , externalComments describe it as "nightmare fuel" and "genuinely haunting", suggesting it had been pulled from a 'cursed attic'.

From BBC ● Aug. 23, 2026

Pack them up, put them in the attic, let them collect some dust.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 14, 2026

More than 30 years later, Val and her sister rediscovered what she thought had been lost while clearing out her parents' attic and decided to create a museum.

From BBC ● Aug. 8, 2026

Is the thief a member of The Incredible Flying Squirrels circus troupe performing daring leaps in the attic?

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 12, 2026

I was still hearing it again in my head when we were back upstairs in our attic room that night, huddled under our blankets.

From "An Elephant in the Garden" by Michael Morpurgo

The poems have been published in a collection called Poems from an Attic, which also includes a poem about her husband, historian Michael Foot.

From BBC ● Apr. 11, 2026

While the work of their Attic cousins is celebrated for being high-minded and idealistic—all those ripped bodies, gods and goddesses—theirs, with its focus on everyday individuals and events, can be seen as prosaic.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 22, 2025

What a moment for the baseball players at South Hills as they got some advice from Orel Hersisher on Dodgers Day at the Legends Attic in Claremont.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 23, 2024

Andrews books, I devoured "Flowers in the Attic," and that whole series.

From Salon ● Apr. 23, 2023

The figure of 252,000 Egyptian “short” stades is closest to the true circumference of the earth; even the Attic stade would have gotten Eratosthenes within 15 percent.

From "Circumference" by Nicholas Nicastro

Homeowners say their builders have made mistakes as they attempt to put up homes as quickly and cheaply as possible, installing improperly sized HVACs, putting in windows incorrectly, or poorly ventilating attics.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 24, 2026

The reel was shrunken through age and frayed, but otherwise in remarkable condition for something stashed in sun-heated attics for years.

From Barron's ● Apr. 13, 2026

"Most of the species that are vulnerable to this disease migrate away from those habitats in spring to give birth in trees or in human structures such as barns or attics," Johnson said.

From Salon ● Jul. 30, 2024

He scouted pieces in the attics of aristocrats and flea markets worldwide, patiently building a collection that now counts more than 15,000 authentic garments spanning from 1750 to 1980.

From Seattle Times ● Mar. 5, 2024

Lelia liked houses that you could go all the way up and hide yourself in, high stretching houses with garrets, widow’s peaks, secret attics.

From "Native Speaker" by Chang-rae Lee