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:
Dozens of agents and prosecutors quit amid the department’s destruction, including the career attorney assigned to Kao’s case.
From Salon ● Sep. 23, 2026
Newsom appointed Bonta as California’s attorney general in 2021 after Becerra, who was serving in that post, accepted a position in President Biden’s cabinet.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 23, 2026
He was brought back to the hospital later after losing movement in his arm, his attorney said, where he was given morphine and treated for a suspected fractured collarbone.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 22, 2026
Your attorney may not ask these questions — that’s up to you.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 22, 2026
The man, who was armed with a .44-caliber, snub-nosed English Bulldog, was named A. W. Comstock, and he was a local attorney and the guardian of several Osage Indians.
From "Killers of the Flower Moon" by David Grann
Newsom and many of Bonta’s fellow attorneys general echoed his claims of victory.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 23, 2026
“This case is not about the far larger Reiner family trusts, which hold the assets of Nick’s parents’ estate and the inheritances they left their children,” his attorneys argued in the motion.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 22, 2026
On Sunday, Ellison called state attorneys general and their staffs to go over the deal.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 22, 2026
Her attorneys argued she was not guilty by reason of insanity, that she was struggling with postpartum psychosis at the time.
From BBC ● Sep. 22, 2026
Too often the quality of court-appointed counsel is poor because the miserable working conditions and low pay discourage good attorneys from participating in the system.
From "The New Jim Crow" by Michelle Alexander
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.
