attend

attend — verb

1. to physically join a one-off event such as a meeting, wedding, concert, or class

1.verbtransitiveB1
Definition

to physically join a one-off event such as a meeting, wedding, concert, or class as one of the people taking part.

Example

About 200 guests attended Marco and Sofia's wedding last Saturday.

transitive: attend + [event noun]

The mayor will attend the opening of the new public library on Friday morning.

future event with named subject

Common collocations
  • attend a meeting
  • attend a wedding
  • attend a funeral
  • attend a concert
  • attend a conference
Synonyms
  • go to

    more everyday wording; less formal

  • be present at

    phrase emphasising physical presence; slightly formal

  • show up at

    informal; suggests arriving rather than full participation

Antonyms
  • miss

    fail to be present at the event

  • skip

    informal; choose not to go

Grammar Patterns

attend + [event/place]

Usage Note

Always transitive in this sense; the event word follows directly with no preposition. Distinguish from sense 4 (attend to), which adds 'to' and means deal with or care for someone.

Common Mistakes

I attended in the meeting.
I attended the meeting.
'attend' takes the event directly; never add 'in' or 'at'.
She attended to her cousin's wedding.
She attended her cousin's wedding.
'attend to' means look after or deal with, not be present at.

2. to go to a school, church, or similar place repeatedly over a period as part of

2.verbtransitiveB1
Definition

to go to a school, church, or similar place repeatedly over a period as part of your normal life.

Example

Hiroshi attended a small primary school in the mountains until he was twelve.

object is a school the subject went to over years

My grandmother has attended the same church on Pine Street for forty years.

present perfect with long-term object

Common collocations
  • attend school
  • attend church
  • attend university
  • attend classes
  • attend a clinic
Synonyms
  • go to

    neutral everyday phrasing for school/church

  • be enrolled at

    stresses formal registration; school/university only

Antonyms

Grammar Patterns

attend + [school/church/clinic]

Usage Note

Object is usually an institution (school, church, university, clinic) rather than a one-off event. Distinguish from sense 1 by the long-term, repeated nature of the visiting.

Common Mistakes

My son attends to a bilingual school.
My son attends a bilingual school.
drop the 'to'; 'attend to' would change the meaning to caring for the school.

3. (in the form 'attend to') to deal with a task, problem, or customer, or to look

3.verbintransitiveB2
Definition

(in the form 'attend to') to deal with a task, problem, or customer, or to look after someone who needs help.

Example

A nurse attended to the injured cyclist while we waited for the ambulance.

attend to + [person needing help]

Could you attend to this email before lunch? The client is waiting for an answer.

attend to + [task/matter]

Common collocations
  • attend to a patient
  • attend to a customer
  • attend to a matter
  • attend to business
  • attend to details
Synonyms
  • deal with

    neutral and more everyday

  • look after

    stresses caring for a person or pet

  • see to

    informal British equivalent of 'attend to'

  • tend to

    often used for the sick or wounded

Antonyms
  • ignore

    deliberately fail to deal with

  • neglect

    fail to give needed care or attention

Grammar Patterns

attend to + [person/matter]

Usage Note

ALWAYS used with 'to' in this sense — 'attend' alone (sense 1/2) means be present, not deal with. Object after 'to' is a person needing service, a customer, or a task.

Common Mistakes

The doctor attended the patient.' (when meaning treated)
The doctor attended to the patient.
without 'to', it sounds like the doctor was a guest at the patient's event.
I will attend your request soon.
I will attend to your request soon.
handling a task requires 'attend to'.

4. to go alongside an important person in order to help or serve them, usually with

4.verbtransitiveC1
Definition

to go alongside an important person in order to help or serve them, usually within an official or ceremonial role.

Example

Two royal guards attended the queen as she walked through the gardens.

subject = staff/guards; object = important person

Dr. Dimitri attended the prime minister on his three-day trip to Berlin.

professional accompaniment on travel

Common collocations
  • attend the queen
  • attend the bride
  • be attended by guards
  • be attended by staff
Synonyms
  • accompany

    neutral; works for any companion, not only important figures

  • escort

    stresses guiding or guarding the person

  • wait on

    stresses serving rather than walking with

Grammar Patterns

attend + [important person]

Usage Note

Frequently passive (be attended by). Subject is usually a servant, guard, doctor, or junior staff; object is a high-status person. Mostly literary, historical, or ceremonial contexts.

Common Mistakes

My friend attended me to the airport.
My friend went with me to the airport.
for ordinary company, use 'go with' or 'come with', not 'attend'.

5. (of a result, risk, or feeling) to come together with an action or event, often

5.verbtransitiveC1
Definition

(of a result, risk, or feeling) to come together with an action or event, often as something it produces or brings.

Example

Long nights of paperwork and constant phone calls attended Mayor Okafor's first month in office.

[abstract noun] attends + [role/event]

Frostbite and sudden snowstorms attended Reiko's solo climb up the north face of Mount Hamilton.

subject = risk; object = activity

Common collocations
  • risks attend
  • danger attends
  • success attends
  • criticism attends a decision
Synonyms
  • accompany

    neutral; can replace 'attend' here in most cases

  • go with

    everyday equivalent for spoken English

Grammar Patterns

[outcome] attend + [action/event]

Usage Note

Subject is an abstract outcome (risk, danger, success, emotion, criticism); object is the action or event it goes with. Mainly written and formal — in speech, prefer 'come with' or 'go along with'.

Common Mistakes

I attended a lot of stress when I changed jobs.
A lot of stress attended my job change.
the abstract outcome is the subject, not the object.
Phrasal verbs

attend to

phrasal verb

To give someone or something your full attention and take care of them.

The nurse attended to the injured child quickly.

Please attend to your homework before watching TV.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: verb/1

All four describe being at an event, but they differ in formality and what they emphasise. 'Attend' is the most formal and is the natural choice in writing, news reports, and official invitations — 'The president attended the summit' sounds more dignified than 'went to'. 'Go to' is the everyday spoken default and works for any event from a party to a funeral. 'Be present at' stresses physical presence and often appears in legal or ceremonial contexts ('all members must be present at the vote'). 'Show up' is informal and often hints at simply turning up rather than fully taking part — 'Only ten people showed up' suggests disappointment with the turnout. Compare: 'Sixty diplomats attended the gala' (formal report) vs 'Did you go to Mei's birthday party?' (casual).

attend ↗go to ↗be present atshow up ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • attend in person
  • attend on behalf of
  • be unable to attend
  • be attended by [staff]

Prepositions

Etymology

LatinOld FrenchMiddle EnglishEnglish

Comes from Latin 'attendere', built from 'ad-' (toward) and 'tendere' (to stretch). The original picture was 'stretching the mind toward something' — that is, paying attention. The word reached English through Old French 'atendre' in the 1300s, first meaning to wait for or pay attention to. The modern sense of being physically present at an event grew out of the older idea of attending on someone, that is, being there to serve them.