What does attend mean?
The verb 'attend' has two principal meanings in modern English. Its most common sense is simply to be present at an event or place: people attend meetings, weddings, lectures, schools, and churches. The second sense, almost always expressed as 'attend to', means to give careful attention to someone or something — a nurse attends to patients, a manager attends to correspondence. A third, now formal or dated sense means to accompany or wait upon a person, as servants once attended nobility. Derived from Latin attendere, meaning 'to stretch toward' or 'give heed to', the word carries connotations of deliberate presence and engagement rather than mere physical arrival. It is slightly more formal than 'go to', making it natural in professional, academic, and ceremonial contexts. Related forms include 'attendance', 'attendant', and 'attendee'. Whether marking presence at an occasion or focused care toward a task, 'attend' implies that one's mind, not just one's body, has arrived.
To be present at an event, meeting, or institution.
"He attends classes three days a week."
To give one's attention to and deal with something or someone (usually 'attend to').
"Please attend to this matter as soon as possible."
(Formal or dated) To accompany or serve someone as a companion or attendant.
"The princess was attended by her maids throughout the journey."
When you 'attend' a wedding today, you're doing what Roman bodyguards did — because 'attend' comes from Latin attendere, literally 'to stretch toward,' as if leaning in to listen.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of attend
'Attend' comes from the Latin verb attendere, formed from ad- ('toward') plus tendere ('to stretch'), so its literal sense is 'to stretch toward' — an image of leaning in to listen or pay heed. It entered English in the late Middle Ages via Old French attender. From the same Latin root come the related English words 'attention', 'attentive', 'attendant', and 'tend', all preserving the core idea of directing oneself toward something.
Related word forms
How attend is actually used
In everyday use, 'attend' is somewhat more formal than 'go to' — one attends a lecture, a funeral, or a conference, but more casually goes to a party. The phrasal form 'attend to' is required for the sense of dealing with something ('I have matters to attend to') and is common in both British and American English. The sense of accompanying or serving someone ('the queen was attended by her ladies') is now largely formal or historical.
Easily confused with attend
'Tend' means to care for or be inclined toward, while 'attend' means to be present at or pay attention to — though 'attend to' overlaps with 'tend' in the caring sense.
'Intend' means to plan or mean to do something, while 'attend' means to be present at or focus on something.