What does att mean?
"Att" is a written abbreviation for "attorney," encountered almost exclusively in legal and formal documents. It typically follows a lawyer's name in signature blocks, filings, or case captions — for example, "J. Whitfield, att." — signaling that the named person is acting in a professional legal capacity. Like most abbreviations, it is a feature of writing rather than speech; one would not pronounce it in conversation but would say "attorney" in full. Its use traces back through centuries of English legal drafting, where space-saving contractions were conventional in court records and contracts. Today the abbreviation is somewhat old-fashioned, with modern American legal style preferring "Esq." after a name or spelling out "Attorney at Law" entirely. Readers who encounter "att." can safely interpret it as shorthand for attorney and nothing more.
abbreviation (noun)An abbreviation of "attorney," used chiefly in formal and legal contexts such as signatures and case citations (e.g., "John Smith, att.").
- Abbreviation for "attorney," used in legal documents and signatures.
"The document was signed by the plaintiff's counsel, marked simply "R. Jones, att.""
"The filing listed the respondent's representative as "M. Lee, att.""
"He appended "att." after his name when signing the affidavit."
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of att
The abbreviation "att." derives from "attorney," which entered Middle English from Anglo-Norman "atorné," meaning "one appointed or assigned," from the past participle of Old French "atorner," "to assign or appoint." The abbreviated form arose naturally in legal record-keeping, where frequent use of the title encouraged contraction. Its cognates include the related legal terms "attorn" and "attornment," which share the same French root.
How att is actually used
Strictly a written abbreviation; it is rarely spoken aloud. In modern practice, fuller forms such as "Esq." or "Attorney at Law" are more common.
Easily confused with att
"At" is the preposition indicating location or time, while "att" is a legal abbreviation for attorney.