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attend Meaning & Definition

/əˈtɛnd/

What Does Attend Mean?

As a verb, attend means Senses relating to caring for or waiting on someone, or accompanying or being present. To care for (someone requiring attention); specifically, of a doctor, nurse, etc.: to provide professional care to (someone). To wait on (someone or their instructions) as an attendant, servant, etc.; also (specifically of a gentleman-in-waiting or lady-in-waiting to a member of royalty), to accompany (someone) in order to assist or wait upon them; to escort. It can also mean To care for (someone requiring attention); specifically, of a doctor, nurse, etc.: to provide professional care to (someone).

Attend in Brief

Part of speechverb
Pronunciation//əˈtɛnd//
Syllables1
Synonymslook, assist and see
Antonymsmiss
Verb formsattends, attending, attended

Attend Definition (Verb)

  1. Senses relating to caring for or waiting on someone, or accompanying or being present. To care for (someone requiring attention); specifically, of a doctor, nurse, etc.: to provide professional care to (someone). To wait on (someone or their instructions) as an attendant, servant, etc.; also (specifically of a gentleman-in-waiting or lady-in-waiting to a member of royalty), to accompany (someone) in order to assist or wait upon them; to escort.

    Servants attend the king day and night.

  2. To care for (someone requiring attention); specifically, of a doctor, nurse, etc.: to provide professional care to (someone).
  3. To wait on (someone or their instructions) as an attendant, servant, etc.; also (specifically of a gentleman-in-waiting or lady-in-waiting to a member of royalty), to accompany (someone) in order to assist or wait upon them; to escort.

    Servants attend the king day and night.

  4. To be present at (an event or place) in order to take part in some action or proceedings; also, to regularly go to (an event or place).

    Children must attend primary school.

  5. To take action with respect to (someone, or something such as a concern, problem, or task); to deal with, to handle.
  6. Of a (chiefly immaterial) thing: to be consequent to or present with (someone or something); to accompany.

    a measure attended with ill effects

  7. To look after (someone or something); to tend.
  8. Followed by to: to look after someone or something.

    Valets attend to their employers’ wardrobes.

  9. To be ready to wait upon someone or their instructions as an attendant, servant, etc.; also (followed by on or upon), to accompany someone in order to assist or wait upon them.
  10. Followed by at: to go to and be present at a place for some purpose; also , followed by on: to be present at and take part in an event.
  11. Followed by to: to take action with respect to someone or something; to deal with.

    Secretaries attend to correspondence.

  12. Followed by on or upon: of a (chiefly immaterial) thing: to be consequent on or present with.
  13. Senses relating to directing one's attention. To listen to (something or someone).
  14. To listen to (something or someone).
  15. To give consideration to (someone or something); to heed, to pay attention, to regard.
  16. Often followed by to, upon, or with: to give consideration; to pay attention.
  17. Followed by to or unto: to listen.
  18. Senses relating to waiting for something. To look out or wait for (someone, or something such as a decision or event); to await.
  19. To look out or wait for (someone, or something such as a decision or event); to await.
  20. To expect or look forward to (someone or something).
  21. Of a thing: to be in store or lie in wait for (someone or something); to await.
  22. To remain and wait; to abide.
  23. Followed by for: to expect or look forward.
  24. Followed by for: of a thing: to be in store or lie in wait.
  25. To intend (something).

Verb

  1. To listen to (something or someone); to pay attention to; regard; heed.
  2. To listen (to, unto).
  3. To turn one's consideration (to); to deal with (a task, problem, concern etc.), to look after.

    Secretaries attend to correspondence.

  4. To wait upon as a servant etc.; to accompany to assist (someone).

    Servants attend the king day and night.

  5. To be present at (an event or place) in order to take part in some action or proceedings; to regularly go to (an event or place).

    Children must attend primary school.

  6. To go to (a place) for some purpose (with at).
  7. To be present with; to accompany; to be united or consequent to.

    a measure attended with ill effects

  8. To wait for; to await; to remain, abide, or be in store for.

Verb

  1. To set on fire; kindle.
  2. To take or catch fire.

Synonyms of Attend

Attend synonyms and antonyms →

Antonyms of Attend

Attend in a Sentence

Servants attend the king day and night.

Children must attend primary school.

a measure attended with ill effects

Valets attend to their employers’ wardrobes.

Secretaries attend to correspondence.

Word Forms & Grammar

attend (third-person singular simple present attends, present participle attending, simple past and past participle attended)

Words That Rhyme With Attend

Origin of Attend

From Middle English attenden, atenden (“to devote oneself (to a task, etc.); to pay attention to (something), to look after; to consider (something); to expect or look forward to (something); to intend to do (something); to help or serve (someone), attend upon; to take care of (something)”),[1] from Old French atendre (“to await, wait for; to expect; to intend”), from Latin attendere, adtendere (“to pay attention to, attend; to direct or turn toward”), from ad- (“prefix meaning ‘to, towards’”) + tendō (“to direct one’s course; to extend, stretch; to exert, strive”).[2] Doublet of attempt and tend.

Pronouncing Attend

Attend is pronounced //əˈtɛnd// and has 1 syllable.

Questions People Ask About Attend

What part of speech is attend?

Attend is a verb.

What is another word for attend?

Words with a similar meaning to attend include look, assist and see. See the full list of attend synonyms and antonyms.

What is the opposite of attend?

The opposite of attend is miss.

What is the past tense of attend?

The past tense of attend is attended. The present participle is attending.

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