attend
uh-TEHND
Attend (verb) means to be present at an event, class, or place. Example: “Over two hundred guests attended the wedding.”
verb
1
To be present at an event, class, or place.
"Over two hundred guests attended the wedding."
"Do you plan to attend the parents' meeting at school tonight?"
"She attends a pottery class every Tuesday evening."
2
To take care of or deal with someone or something.
"A nurse attended to the injured passenger until the ambulance arrived."
"The manager will attend to your complaint as soon as she is free."
"I must attend to the garden before it gets dark."
3
To pay attention to or listen carefully to something.
"Please attend closely to the safety instructions."
"If you had attended to the teacher, you would have known the answer."
"Pupils who attend carefully to each step usually make fewer mistakes."
How to use attend
Learner’s notesIn 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
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Word forms
- Third person singular
- attends
- Past tense
- attended
- Archaic forms
- attendest, attendedst, attendeth
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."
Synonyms
View more →Antonyms
Related words
Frequently asked questions
What does “attend” mean?
The word “attend” means to be present at an event, class, or place. In plain terms, to be present somewhere, to look after someone, or to pay close attention — the sense depends on context.
How do you pronounce “attend”?
“Attend” is pronounced uh-TEHND (/əˈtɛnd/ in IPA).
How do you use “attend” in a sentence?
Here is “attend” used in a sentence: “Over two hundred guests attended the wedding.”
What part of speech is “attend”?
“Attend” is a verb.
Where does the word “attend” come from?
The word “attend” comes from Latin. From Old French atendre, "to await, pay attention to," from Latin attendere, literally "to stretch toward.".
Is “attend” a common word?
“Attend” is a fairly common word in modern English, usually learned at around the B1 level.
How many meanings does “attend” have?
“Attend” has 3 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: to be present at an event, class, or place.
What is the difference between attend and attend to?
To attend something means to be present at it, such as attending a meeting or a wedding. To attend to something means to deal with it or take care of it, as in attending to a customer or attending to your duties. The extra word 'to' changes the meaning entirely.
Does attend always mean being physically present?
Not anymore. Traditionally, attending meant showing up in person at a place or event. Today you can also attend virtually — joining a class, meeting, or concert online counts as attending. The core idea is participation and presence, whether you are physically there or connected remotely.
What is an example of attend in a sentence?
You might say, 'I attend college three days a week,' or 'Hundreds of people attended the funeral.' It commonly pairs with events, institutions, and gatherings — school, church, a conference, a concert, or a ceremony. In each case, attend simply means the person was there and took part.
Is attend a formal word?
Attend is slightly formal but perfectly ordinary in everyday use. In casual speech people often say 'go to' instead — 'I went to the concert' rather than 'I attended the concert.' Both are correct; attend just sounds a little more polished and is common in writing, invitations, and official contexts.
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