Word definition: attorney

Etimology


From Middle English attourne, from Old French atorné, masculine singular past participle of atorner, atourner, aturner ("to attorn", in the sense of "one appointed or constituted").

noun


attorney (plural attorneys or (obsolete) attornies)

(US) A lawyer; one who advises or represents others in legal matters as a profession.

(UK, dated, 19th century and earlier) One such who practised in the courts of the common law.

(UK, 20th century and later, rare, usually derogatory) A solicitor.

(obsolete outside set phrases) An agent or representative authorized to act on someone else's behalf.

(Philippines, sometimes US) An honorific given to lawyers and notaries public, or those holders by profession who also do other jobs. Usually capitalized or abbreviated as Atty.

Clusia spp.

A prosecutor

Examples


Coordinate terms: proctor, solicitor

Related words


synonyms

mouthpiece (slang)

advocate

verb


attorney (third-person singular simple present attorneys, present participle attorneying, simple past and past participle attorneyed)

(intransitive, rare) To work as a legal attorney.

(transitive, rare) To provide with a legal attorney.

Data provided by Wiktionary