attend
Americanverb (used with object)
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attends,
present (3rd person singular)
-
attended,
past participle, past
-
attending
present participle
-
to be present at.
to attend a lecture; to attend church.
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to go with as a concomitant or result; accompany.
Fever may attend a cold. Success attended her hard work.
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to take care of; minister to; devote one's services to.
The nurse attended the patient daily.
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to wait upon; accompany as a companion or servant.
The retainers attended their lord.
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to take charge of; watch over; look after; tend; guard.
to attend one's health.
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to listen to; give heed to.
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Archaic. to wait for; expect.
verb (used without object)
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attends,
present (3rd person singular)
-
attended,
past participle, past
-
attending
present participle
-
to take care or charge.
to attend to a sick person.
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to apply oneself.
to attend to one's work.
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to pay attention; listen or watch attentively; direct one's thought; pay heed.
to attend to a speaker.
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to be present.
She is a member but does not attend regularly.
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to be present and ready to give service; wait (usually followed by on orupon ).
to attend upon the Queen.
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to follow; be consequent (usually followed by on orupon ).
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Obsolete. to wait.
verb
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to be present at (an event, meeting, etc)
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to give care; minister
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to pay attention; listen
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(tr; often passive) to accompany or follow
a high temperature attended by a severe cough
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(intr; foll by on or upon) to follow as a consequence (of)
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to devote one's time; apply oneself
to attend to the garden
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(tr) to escort or accompany
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(intr; foll by on or upon) to wait (on); serve; provide for the needs (of)
to attend on a guest
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archaic (tr) to wait for; expect
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obsolete (intr) to delay
Synonym Usage
See accompany.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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attendsimple
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attendssimple
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have attendedperfect
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has attendedperfect
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am attendingprogressive
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are attendingprogressive
-
is attendingprogressive
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have been attendingperfect progressive
-
has been attendingperfect progressive
Past
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attendedsimple
-
had attendedperfect
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was attendingprogressive
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were attendingprogressive
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had been attendingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of attend
First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English atenden, from Anglo-French, Old French atendre, from Latin attendere “to bend to, notice,” from at- at- + tendere “to stretch, extend, proceed”; cf. tend 1
Explanation
The verb attend means to be present, to listen, or give care or attention to. You can attend your family reunion, attend to a project you've been ignoring, or attend to your teacher's voice. When you use attend as "pay attention" or "take care of," it's followed by "to." When you use attend as in "attend a party," you don't. If you attend a political rally, you'll want to attend to what the politicians have to say. When you take attendance, you are checking which students have chosen to attend class, i.e. who is in attendance.
Vocabulary lists containing attend
"The Gift of the Magi" by O. Henry
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"Rikki-Tikki-Tavi" by Rudyard Kipling
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Mother's Day Words: What Mothers Do
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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:
Anderson was released on Monday from Maghaberry Prison to attend the funeral but absconded and remains at large.
From BBC ● Sep. 20, 2026
Initially a two-day experience, organizers expanded it by a day when they learned how far some people were traveling to attend.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 20, 2026
Do you attend community events or other group gatherings eagerly?
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 18, 2026
One day, he traveled to Boston to attend the National Catholic Social Action Conference, where he first heard about Chávez and his efforts to organize farmworkers in Delano, merely miles away from where Chatfield worked.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 18, 2026
“Well, President Davis, yesterday I moved my family cross-state from White Sulphur Springs, over by the Virginia line, so that the rest of my children can attend the Institute. My daughter Margaret already goes here.”
From "Reaching for the Moon" by Katherine Johnson
Ingrid is involved in music and theater at Quincy Village, which is part of Presbyterian Senior Living, and attends local history discussions in nearby Waynesboro, Pa.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 5, 2026
Mayoral candidate Nithya Raman attends the environmental forum.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 4, 2026
Tim Curry attends a 40th anniversary celebration for The Rocky Horror Picture Show in Los Angeles in 2015.
From BBC ● Sep. 2, 2026
Macron's visit to London, which includes bilateral talks with Burnham on Thursday, will be rich with symbolism as the French president attends the official opening of the Bayeux showcase the previous day.
From Barron's ● Sep. 2, 2026
He attends twice more before returning to Munich, paying his admission in full both times.
From "The Night Circus" by Erin Morgenstern
You’ve probably never seen Michael Araujo, but if you’ve attended an Angels game since 2013, you’ve definitely heard him.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 20, 2026
Coplan attended Drake’s private album-release party at a castlelike mansion in Toronto.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 20, 2026
"I don't think it's really necessary," said David Waring, who attended Thursday's game.
From BBC ● Sep. 18, 2026
At a community meeting I attended this week, the possible loss of a Whole Foods tenant caused considerable consternation.
From Salon ● Sep. 18, 2026
I attended one meeting and drew an incredibly awesome spaceship cruising through the stars.
From "Shine!" by J.J. and Chris Grabenstein
Villa Park in Birmingham, from which Maccabi Tel Aviv fans were banned from attending a Europa League match in November, will stage four matches.
From BBC ● Sep. 17, 2026
We might waste less time attending a meeting, say, than stewing over a comment directed at us in the real or virtual conference room.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 17, 2026
I was 11, attending an Islamic school in northern New Jersey.
From Slate ● Sep. 17, 2026
The actor, who plays chief attending physician Dr. Michael “Robby” Robinavitch in the medical drama, won the award at Monday’s Primetime Emmy Awards, a repeat effort after the medical drama’s standout freshman season.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 15, 2026
Reverend Granger started to hear raps about his farm and house after attending several Fox séances.
From "American Spirits" by Barb Rosenstock
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.
