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attend

verb
at·​tend | \ É™-ˈtend How to pronounce attend (audio) \
attended; attending; attends

Definition of attend

transitive verb

1 : to be present at : to go to attend a meeting attend law school
2 : to pay attention to attend the warning signs
3 : to look after : to take charge of … campsites … attended by park rangers.— Jackson Rivers
4a : to go or stay with as a companion, nurse, or servant ministers who attend the king
b : to visit professionally especially as a physician a doctor attending his patients
5 : to be present with : accompany

6 archaic

a : to wait for
b : to be in store for

intransitive verb

1 : to direct one's attention : see —used with to I'll attend to [=deal with] that myself.
2 : to apply oneself attend to your work
3 : to apply the mind or pay attention : heed attend to his advice
4a : to be ready for service ministers who attend upon the king
b : to be present How many people attended?
5 obsolete : wait, stay
Other Words from attend Synonyms More Example Sentences Learn More about attend

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Other Words from attend

attender noun

Examples of attend in a Sentence

My husband and I will both attend the banquet. How many people attended the baseball game? He won't be attending the conference. How many people will be attending? She attends a school in the city. He'll be attending the university in the fall. I am the first child in my family to attend college. We attend the same church. Each nurse attends 15 patients. A midwife attended the birth.
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Recent Examples on the Web

 When Kimberly was accepted at N.Y.U., her father urged her to attend a more affordable school in state. — Hua Hsu, The New Yorker, "Student Debt Is Transforming the American Family," 2 Sep. 2019 Harper took ballet lessons at a place that worked out of Carnegie Hall and attended Quintano’s School for Young Professionals in Manhattan with fellow future actors Sal Mineo, Carol Linley and Tuesday Weld. — Mike Barnes, The Hollywood Reporter, "Valerie Harper, TV's Rhoda Morgenstern, Dies at 80," 30 Aug. 2019 The Kid With the Motorcycle After spending his childhood in Belgium (where his mother worked for the European Union), Levandowski moved to the US at 14 to live with his father and attend high school in Marin County, north of San Francisco. — Wired, "How Anthony Levandowski Put Himself at the Center of an Industry," 29 Aug. 2019 Browse through the photos above for a look at what high school all the legendary Houston rappers attended. — Matt Young, Houston Chronicle, "Where your favorite Houston rapper went to high school," 28 Aug. 2019 It’s hard for Americans to understand why so many Chinese students attending school in Western countries have turned out in recent days to express support for the Chinese government in its current conflict with Hong Kong protesters. — Yaqiu Wang, Twin Cities, "Yaqiu Wang: Why so many Chinese students can’t understand the Hong Kong protests," 27 Aug. 2019 Staff from the high schools’ feeder schools, meaning the middle and elementary schools whose students will eventually attend the specific high school, also are invited. — Jess Nocera, baltimoresun.com, "Long Reach High staff dance their way into the new school year with kickoff event," 26 Aug. 2019 Zak escapes from the nursing with the hopes of attending the wrestling school of his hero, The Salt Water Redneck. — Briana Rice, Cincinnati.com, "The Cincinnati connection to Shia LaBeouf and Dakota Johnson's 'The Peanut Butter Falcon'," 23 Aug. 2019 Hudson spent part of her childhood in Dallas and attended high school in Bakersfield, Calif. — Dallas News, "Woman found in burning SUV near Lowest Greenville remembered as joyful person, fly fisher," 22 Aug. 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'attend.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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First Known Use of attend

14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 2

History and Etymology for attend

Middle English, from Anglo-French atendre, from Latin attendere, literally, to stretch to, from ad- + tendere to stretch — more at thin

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More Definitions for attend

attend

verb
How to pronounce attend (audio)

English Language Learners Definition of attend

: to go to and be present at (an event, meeting, etc.)
: to regularly go to (classes, church services, etc.)
: to help or care for (someone, such as a patient)

See the full definition for attend in the English Language Learners Dictionary

attend

verb
at·​tend | \ É™-ˈtend How to pronounce attend (audio) \
attended; attending

Kids Definition of attend

1 : to go to or be present at attend school attend a party
2 : to look after : take charge of The hotel staff attended to my every need.
3 : to direct attention attend to business
4 : to pay attention to All the children had been attending … to what Mr. Beaver was telling them …— C. S. Lewis, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
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