attorney

noun

at·​tor·​ney ə-ˈtər-nē How to pronounce attorney (audio)
plural attorneys
: one who is legally appointed to transact business on another's behalf
especially : lawyer
attorneyship noun

Examples of attorney in a Sentence

talked to the count's attorney about buying land from his estate finished law school and became an attorney
Recent Examples on the Web In 2017, at age 37, Brian Wallach, a former attorney in the Obama administration, was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), a progressive, incurable neurodegenerative disease — and was given six months to live. Gary Goldstein, Los Angeles Times, 18 June 2024 Who is Jenna Ellis? Ellis, according to the indictment, was an attorney for the Trump campaign and is alleged to have worked closely with Rudy Giuliani. Elena Santa Cruz, The Arizona Republic, 18 June 2024 Biden's attorney, Li, and the White House did not respond to Fox News Digital's requests for comment. Cameron Cawthorne, Fox News, 18 June 2024 According to a comment on the 2020 digital obituary for a prominent Long Island attorney, the Cestone sisters, Ann and Gloria, once got into a legal kerfuffle with former Rolling Stone founder Jann Wenner over the purchase of a piece of land in East Hampton, New York. Mark David, Robb Report, 18 June 2024 See all Example Sentences for attorney 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'attorney.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English attourney, from Anglo-French aturné, past participle of aturner — see attorn

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of attorney was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near attorney

Cite this Entry

“Attorney.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/attorney. Accessed 27 Jun. 2024.

Kids Definition

attorney

noun
at·​tor·​ney ə-ˈtər-nē How to pronounce attorney (audio)
plural attorneys
: a person who is appointed to conduct business for another
especially : lawyer

Legal Definition

attorney

noun
at·​tor·​ney ə-ˈtər-nē How to pronounce attorney (audio)
plural attorneys
: a person authorized to act on another's behalf
especially : lawyer see also attorney-in-fact
Etymology

Anglo-French atorné legal representative, from past participle of atorner to designate, appoint, from Old French, to prepare, arrange see attorn

More from Merriam-Webster on attorney

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