verb

attend

uh-TEHND

verb

To be present at an event, class, or place.

"Over two hundred guests attended the wedding."

To take care of or deal with someone or something.

"A nurse attended to the injured passenger until the ambulance arrived."

To pay attention to or listen carefully to something.

"Please attend closely to the safety instructions."

How to Use Attend

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishTo be present somewhere, to look after someone, or to pay close attention — the sense depends on context.

Common mistake

"Attend" someone/something (be present at) vs "attend to" someone/something (take care of) — the preposition changes the meaning.

Common pairings

attend a meeting attend to a patient attend school

Word Forms

attended past tense, attend plural, attended plural, attends singular, attend singular, attended singular, attendest singular, attendedst singular, attendeth singular

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Fill the Gap

Can you complete this real example?

Over two hundred guests _____ the wedding.

Etymology

From Old French atendre, "to await, pay attention to," from Latin attendere, literally "to stretch toward."