attorney
Americannoun
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attorneys
plural
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a lawyer; attorney-at-law.
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an attorney-in-fact; agent.
noun
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a person legally appointed or empowered to act for another
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a lawyer qualified to represent clients in legal proceedings
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a solicitor
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of attorney
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 ”
Explanation
An attorney is a lawyer. Attorneys sue people, defend people, and serve as experts on the law. When there's any kind of legal issue, attorneys will be involved. They're the legal experts with law degrees who are also known as "lawyers." You'll often find them in court, defending clients or trying to put criminals in jail. Attorneys work for businesses, schools, the government, and individuals. So if you get arrested, need to write a will, or have to hash out a binding contract, an attorney is the person to call.
Vocabulary lists containing attorney
Monster
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Occupations
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Flush
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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.
See Examples For:
His attorney said Shehu hasn’t had any legal trouble with any European country beyond Albania, and he was only involved in legal business deals.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 9, 2026
President Donald Trump's former personal lawyer Todd Blanche has been confirmed as US attorney general - the nation's top law enforcement official.
From BBC ● Aug. 8, 2026
By the time you read this, it’s entirely possible that the Senate will have voted to confirm Todd Blanche as attorney general.
From Slate ● Aug. 8, 2026
Torrez, the New Mexico attorney general, said in a statement Meta knew for years that its platforms were harming kids and now it’s paying for choosing “engagement and profit over their safety.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 7, 2026
One might imagine that a criminal defendant, when brought before the judge—or when meeting with his attorney for the first time—would be told of the consequences of a guilty plea or conviction.
From "The New Jim Crow" by Michelle Alexander
After a serious incident, a committee composed of senior ICE officials and attorneys will review the footage and recommend whether it should be released.
From Salon ● Aug. 8, 2026
At the Glenn-Mills trial in Los Angeles, Meta attorneys repeatedly hammered witnesses about the lack of a listing — at times appearing to annoy jurors and test the patience of the court.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 8, 2026
On Aug. 5, the White House sent a letter to Cook’s attorneys asking her to respond to allegations she made false statements on mortgage applications for several of her homes.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 7, 2026
Critics said profit had become more important than the supporter experience, with the attorneys general of New York and New Jersey subpoenaing Fifa to answer questions about its ticketing practices.
From BBC ● Aug. 7, 2026
After we met Kay Hanlon, we went up one floor in the Juvenile Court building to talk to the four attorneys from the Juvenile Public Defender’s office representing Johnny, the ten-year-old defendant.
From "Our America: Life and Death on the South Side of Chicago" by LeAlan Jones
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.
