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ENGLISH · A WORD WITH POSSIBILITIES

attend.

Senses relating to caring for or waiting on someone, or accompanying or being present.

6 characters2 syllables approx.English language

Meaning & usage

verb/əˈtɛnd/General-American, Received-Pronunciation[əˈtʰɛnd]General-American, Received-Pronunciation
  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).

    transitive
  2. Senses relating to caring for or waiting on someone, or accompanying or being present. 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.

    transitive
    Servants attend the king day and night.
  3. Senses relating to caring for or waiting on someone, or accompanying or being present. 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).

    transitive
    Children must attend primary school.
  4. Senses relating to caring for or waiting on someone, or accompanying or being present. To take action with respect to (someone, or something such as a concern, problem, or task); to deal with, to handle.

    transitive
  5. Senses relating to caring for or waiting on someone, or accompanying or being present. Of a (chiefly immaterial) thing: to be consequent to or present with (someone or something); to accompany.

    transitive
    a measure attended with ill effects
  6. Senses relating to caring for or waiting on someone, or accompanying or being present. To look after (someone or something); to tend.

    archaic · obsolete · transitive
  7. Senses relating to caring for or waiting on someone, or accompanying or being present. Followed by to: to look after someone or something.

    intransitive
    Valets attend to their employers’ wardrobes.
  8. Senses relating to caring for or waiting on someone, or accompanying or being present. 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.

    intransitive
  9. Senses relating to caring for or waiting on someone, or accompanying or being present. Followed by at: to go to and be present at a place for some purpose; also (obsolete), followed by on: to be present at and take part in an event.

    intransitive
  10. Senses relating to caring for or waiting on someone, or accompanying or being present. Followed by to: to take action with respect to someone or something; to deal with.

    intransitive
    Secretaries attend to correspondence.
  11. Senses relating to caring for or waiting on someone, or accompanying or being present. Followed by on or upon: of a (chiefly immaterial) thing: to be consequent on or present with.

    intransitive
  12. Senses relating to directing one's attention. To listen to (something or someone).

    archaic · transitive
  13. Senses relating to directing one's attention. To give consideration to (someone or something); to heed, to pay attention, to regard.

    obsolete · transitive
  14. Senses relating to directing one's attention. Often followed by to, upon, or with: to give consideration; to pay attention.

    intransitive
  15. Senses relating to directing one's attention. Followed by to or unto: to listen.

    archaic · intransitive
  16. Senses relating to waiting for something. To look out or wait for (someone, or something such as a decision or event); to await.

    archaic · obsolete · transitive
  17. Senses relating to waiting for something. To expect or look forward to (someone or something).

    archaic · obsolete · transitive
  18. Senses relating to waiting for something. Of a thing: to be in store or lie in wait for (someone or something); to await.

    archaic · figuratively · obsolete · transitive
  19. Senses relating to waiting for something. To remain and wait; to abide.

    archaic · intransitive · obsolete
  20. Senses relating to waiting for something. Followed by for: to expect or look forward.

    archaic · intransitive · obsolete · rare
  21. Senses relating to waiting for something. Followed by for: of a thing: to be in store or lie in wait.

    archaic · figuratively · intransitive · obsolete
  22. To intend (something).

    obsolete
Where this word comes from

PIE word *h₂éd 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)”), 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”). Doublet of attempt and tend.

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Definitions, grammatical labels, IPA, etymology and examples: Wiktionary contributors, extracted by Kaikki / Wiktextract. Adapted under CC BY-SA 4.0. Selected fields and authored examples are shown; third-party quotations and audio are omitted. See contributor history.

Last enriched 2026-09-10. Definitions are in English. Romanizations are shown when supplied by the source; syllable estimates are omitted for unsupported scripts.