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:
Bassin argues that congressional investigators must do more than expose corruption: They should preserve the evidence a future attorney general would need to recoup taxpayers’ money.
From Slate ● Nov. 7, 2026
Cornell, after initially defending its disciplinary measures, has acknowledged it fell short in its handling of her case and has hired a former attorney general to conduct an independent review of the case.
From BBC ● Nov. 6, 2026
He could not be reached for comment, and an attorney who represented him in the past did not respond to requests for comment.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 6, 2026
“Americans are looking for leadership that is more principled,” civil rights attorney Bryan Stevenson told me, arguing Newsom’s move is actually in sync with the electorate.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 5, 2026
James Goodale had been expecting to hear from the attorney general all day.
From "Most Dangerous: Daniel Ellsberg and the Secret History of the Vietnam War" by Steve Sheinkin
In a statement to the BBC's US partner, CBS News, Seaver's attorneys said he was "grateful to put this misunderstanding behind him so that the family can grieve peacefully".
From BBC ● Nov. 7, 2026
As noted above, the government’s attorneys obtained the complaint by presenting a magistrate judge with a 27-page affidavit.
From Slate ● Nov. 3, 2026
It is not clear if they are being represented by attorneys.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 31, 2026
Before that, Vintfeld owned child acting and modeling-talent agencies accused by attorneys general in New Jersey and Florida of defrauding hundreds of parents.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 30, 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
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
