# attend

/əˈtɛnd/ (US) · /ɐtˈɛnd/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/attend
Updated: 2026-06-19

## Senses

### 1. to be present at

verb · CEFR A2

to go to or be present at an event, meeting, or school.

For teachers: to be present at an event, meeting, or institution. Transitive in modern usage, though it can imply regular presence as in schooling.

- All students must attend the graduation ceremony next Friday.
- The CEO is expected to attend the international summit to discuss the new environmental regulations with other industry leaders.

### 2. to deal with or listen

verb · CEFR B2 · Formal

to give your attention to something or someone.

For teachers: to direct one's attention or efforts toward a task, person, or problem. Intransitive; almost always takes the preposition 'to'.

- I have a few urgent emails to attend to before we leave.
- The doctor had to attend to several emergency cases before he could begin his scheduled appointments for the afternoon.

Usage: Always used with the preposition 'to' in this sense.

### 3. to look after

verb · CEFR C1 · Formal

to look after someone or provide what they need.

For teachers: to provide service to or look after the needs of someone. Often used in the context of service staff or medical professionals.

- The flight crew will attend to your needs during the long flight.
- The royal party was attended by a large group of assistants who managed every detail of the journey.

### 4. to accompany

verb · CEFR C2 · Literary · Formal

to go with someone, often as a helper or a result of something.

For teachers: to accompany as a companion, assistant, or consequence. Often used in literary or formal contexts to describe things that happen together.

- The king was attended by his most loyal guards.
- The sudden change in policy was attended by much public debate and several large protests in the capital.

## Examples

- I plan to attend the meeting tomorrow morning.
- All students must attend the orientation session to receive their ID cards and campus maps.
- While the CEO could not attend the conference in person, she delivered a keynote address via video link to the hundreds of delegates gathered in the hall.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.