attorney

American  

[uh-tur-nee] / əˈtɜr ni /

noun

plural

attorneys

1. a lawyer; attorney-at-law.

2. an attorney-in-fact; agent.

---

attorney British  

/ əˈtɜːnɪ /

noun

1. a person legally appointed or empowered to act for another

2. a lawyer qualified to represent clients in legal proceedings

3. a solicitor

---

Other Word Forms

• attorneyship noun
• subattorney noun
• subattorneyship noun

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 ”

Example Sentences

Retes, a U.S. citizen and Army veteran, said he was held for three days without the ability to make a phone call or see an attorney.

From Los Angeles Times

Plaintiff attorneys never let a cultural problem go to waste.

From The Wall Street Journal

Defense attorneys argued that the brothers—successful, ambitious and social—could be crude and arrogant.

From The Wall Street Journal

“This is uncharted water. Never before in the country’s history has the government asserted this type of power,” attorney Jonathan Hafetz told The Guardian.

From Salon

TikTok settled a lawsuit that alleges social-media platforms designed products meant to addict young people, avoiding a trial in California, according to attorneys for a young woman suing several tech giants.

From The Wall Street Journal