Standard Lemma guide

attending

adj · noun · verb · 7 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • /əˈtɛndɪŋ/
  • rhymes with -ɛndɪŋ
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • CMU ARPABET: AH0 T EH1 N D IH0 NG Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

adj

Meaning 1

That attend or attends; that is or are in attendance; attendant.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: not-comparable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

adj

Meaning 2

Serving on the staff of a teaching hospital as a doctor.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: not-comparable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

adj

Meaning 3

Attendant, concomitant.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: not-comparable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

noun

Meaning 4

A physician on the staff of a hospital, especially the principal one that supervises a patient's care.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: Canada, US

Examples

  • She's an attending in gastroenterology at Mass General.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: physician, doctor, person

5

verb

Meaning 5

present participle and gerund of attend

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: form-of, gerund, participle, present

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

6

noun

Meaning 6

the act of being present (at a meeting or event etc.)

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: attendance

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: group action

Narrower terms: appearance, appearing, coming into court, presence, turnout

7

noun

Meaning 7

the process whereby a person concentrates on some features of the environment to the (relative) exclusion of others

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: attention

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: basic cognitive process

Narrower terms: attentiveness, heed, regard, paying attention, clock-watching, ear, eye, notice, observation, observance

History

Etymology

From attend + -ing.

Across languages

Translations

8 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Ancient Greek: ἀκόλουθος (akólouthos) — that attend(s), attendant
  • Portuguese: presencia — that attend(s), attendant
  • Portuguese: participa — that attend(s), attendant
  • Spanish: asistente — that attend(s), attendant
  • Portuguese: assistir — serving on the staff of a teaching hospital as a doctor
  • German: Oberarzt — physician on the staff of a hospital
  • Indonesian: dokter penanggung jawab pelayanan — physician on the staff of a hospital
  • Indonesian: DPJP — physician on the staff of a hospital
Real reading context

attending in complete knowledge articles