attending
attending — verb
- attendingpresent simple I / you / we / they
- attendings3rd person singular
- attendinging-ing form
- attendingedpast simple
1. To be present at an event such as a meeting, concert, wedding, or conference.
To be present at an event such as a meeting, concert, wedding, or conference.
Hui attended a wedding in Kyoto last spring and met many new friends there.
attend + event (wedding)
Over four hundred people attended the international conference on climate change.
João was too ill to attend the board meeting on Friday morning.
Gabriel attended a fundraising gala for the local children's hospital.
- attend a meeting
- attend a concert
- attend a wedding
- attend a conference
- attend a ceremony
- be present at
more formal and slightly longer phrasing
- go to
more informal, everyday speech
- miss
to fail to be present at an event
Grammar Patterns
attend + event (conference / wedding / meeting / concert)
Common Mistakes
2. To go regularly to a particular place such as a school, church, or class over a
To go regularly to a particular place such as a school, church, or class over a period of time.
Karim has attended the same primary school since he was six years old.
attend + school for regular presence
Emily attends yoga classes every Tuesday and Thursday evening.
The Watanabe family attends a local church near their home every Sunday.
Hyun is attending a summer training course on data analysis at the university.
- attend school
- attend church
- attend classes
- attend university
- attend a course
- go to school
idiomatic and more common in everyday speech
- be enrolled at
emphasises the formal registration aspect
- skip
to deliberately not go to a class or school
Grammar Patterns
attend + institution (school / class / church)
Usage Note
Distinguish from sense 1 (GO TO EVENT): this sense emphasises habitual or regular presence at an institution rather than a one-time event.
3. To listen with care to what a person tells you, or to deal with a request or nee
To listen with care to what a person tells you, or to deal with a request or need they express.
The nurse attended carefully to the elderly woman's concerns about her new medication.
attend to + person's concerns / needs
Pedro stopped typing and attended fully to what his manager was explaining.
The hotel staff attended to every request the guests made during their stay.
Dario put down his phone and attended to what his daughter was telling him.
- attend to someone's needs
- attend to a matter
- attend to what someone is saying
- attend to a complaint
- ignore
deliberately pay no attention
Grammar Patterns
attend to + person / words / needs
Usage Note
Always used with the preposition 'to' in this sense. The object is the person speaking or the matter needing attention, not an event.
Common Mistakes
4. To look after a person who needs treatment, providing the professional care your
To look after a person who needs treatment, providing the professional care your job requires.
Dr. Obi attended to three patients in the emergency room before the lunch break.
attend to + patient for medical care
The surgeon who attended the accident victim worked through the night to save his life.
A team of nurses and doctors attended the birth of twins at the city hospital.
Dr. Jabari has been attending patients at the same clinic for the past twelve years.
- attend to a patient
- attend the wounded
- attend a case
- attend a birth
- treat
focuses on the medical procedure itself
- look after
more general; not limited to medical settings
- neglect
fail to care for someone properly
Grammar Patterns
attend to + patient / injured person
Usage Note
In medical contexts, this sense overlaps with the adjective sense (MEDICAL ROLE) and the noun sense (DOCTOR IN CHARGE). An 'attending physician' is a doctor who attends to patients.
Common Mistakes
5. To occur alongside something else, typically as a natural outcome or side effect
To occur alongside something else, typically as a natural outcome or side effect of it.
The risks attending any major surgery must be explained to the patient beforehand.
the + noun + attending + noun (formal pattern)
There are several financial difficulties attending the new trade policy that were not anticipated.
The social changes attending rapid urbanisation have been studied by many researchers.
The legal challenges attending any merger of this size are significant.
- the risks attending
- the problems attending
- the difficulties attending
- the changes attending
- accompany
more neutral; does not imply cause and effect
- result from
focuses more on causation than simultaneity
Grammar Patterns
the + noun + attending + noun (e.g. 'the risks attending surgery')
Usage Note
This sense is formal and typical of written or academic language. It often describes difficulties, risks, or changes that accompany a situation.
attending — adjective
- attendingpositive
- more attendingcomparative
- most attendingsuperlative
1. Describing a senior doctor who has primary responsibility for a patient's treatm
Describing a senior doctor who has primary responsibility for a patient's treatment at a hospital and often supervises interns, residents, or fellows.
The attending physician reviewed the test results before approving the treatment plan.
attending physician — senior doctor in charge
Patients are first examined by residents and then seen by the attending doctor later in the day.
Dr. Sana worked as an attending surgeon at the city hospital for over fifteen years.
The attending staff meet every morning to discuss each patient's progress.
- attending physician
- attending surgeon
- attending doctor
- attending staff
- consultant
used in British English for a similar senior hospital role
Grammar Patterns
attending + noun (physician / surgeon / doctor)
Usage Note
Used only before a noun in medical contexts. This sense corresponds to the noun sense (DOCTOR IN CHARGE) and the verb sense 4 (PROVIDE CARE).
Common Mistakes
attending — noun
1. A senior doctor who is responsible for a patient's care in a hospital and who su
A senior doctor who is responsible for a patient's care in a hospital and who supervises the work of interns, residents, and fellows.
The attending decided to keep the patient in hospital for one more night of observation.
the attending = the doctor in charge of a case
After reviewing the test results, the attending spoke with the patient's family about the next steps.
Nellie reported her findings to the attending, who then approved the new treatment plan.
The attending on duty was called to the emergency room at midnight.
- the attending said
- the attending decided
- the attending on duty
- the attending's orders
- consultant
equivalent role in British hospital systems
- senior doctor
broader, less technical term
- intern
junior doctor in training
Grammar Patterns
the attending (singular); the attendings (plural)
Usage Note
Almost always preceded by 'the' in hospital usage. An 'attending' is the person who oversees a patient's case, corresponding to the adjective sense (MEDICAL ROLE) and verb sense 4 (PROVIDE CARE).
Common Mistakes
Etymology
First known use
1904
1904, in the meaning defined above Noun