What does attended mean?
Attended is the past tense and past participle of the verb attend, a word with two principal strands of meaning. Its most common sense is simply to have been present at an event: one attended a lecture, a funeral, a conference. The second sense is older and more intimate — to attend someone is to wait upon them, serve them, or give them close attention, as when a nurse attended to a patient's needs. The word descends from the Latin attendere, meaning to stretch toward or direct one's mind to something, which explains why presence and attentiveness remain intertwined in its use. Today it carries a neutral, unremarkable tone in everyday contexts such as school attendance, while phrases like 'attended by' lend a more formal, even ceremonial air to written English. It is a versatile workhorse verb whose roots quietly remind us that showing up and paying attention were once considered much the same act.
verbPast tense and past participle of "attend": to be present at an event, or to give one's attention to or deal with something or someone.
- Was physically present at (an event, class, meeting).
- Gave care or attention to; waited upon or served (someone).
- Dealt with or saw to (a matter) — chiefly British, as in 'attended to the problem'.
"She attended every lecture despite the early start."
"Over two hundred guests attended the wedding ceremony."
"The nurse attended to the patient's wounds with great care."
From Latin attendere — literally 'to stretch toward' — being present at something once meant leaning your whole mind into it.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of attended
Attended comes from the Latin attendere, formed from ad- (toward) plus tendere (to stretch), literally meaning to stretch toward something. The word entered English via Old French attender in the medieval period, initially carrying senses of directing one's attention or waiting upon someone before developing the sense of being physically present at events. It shares this Latin root tendere with words such as attention, attendant, tender, and tenuous.
Related word forms
How attended is actually used
Standard register across formal and informal use. In the sense of serving someone ('the physician attended the patient'), the verb often takes 'to' in modern usage. As a passive participle, 'attended by' is common in formal writing.
Easily confused with attended
"Attended" means was present at or dealt with, while "intended" means planned or meant to do something.