attendant

1 of 2

noun

at·​ten·​dant ə-ˈten-dənt How to pronounce attendant (audio)
1
: one who attends another to perform a service
the bride and her attendants
especially : an employee who waits on customers
a gas-station attendant
2
: something that accompanies : concomitant
the sword, ring, armor, and other attendants of knighthood
3
: attendee
attendants at the festival

attendant

2 of 2

adjective

1
: accompanying, waiting upon, or following in order to perform service
Cherub and Seraph … attendant on their LordJohn Milton
2
: accompanying or following as a consequence or result
problems attendant on pollution
civilization and its attendant moralityRobert Stone

Examples of attendant in a Sentence

Noun She let the parking attendant park her car. let the hotel attendant help them with their bags Adjective The town is trying to deal with the population boom and the attendant increase in traffic. dreaded the coming flu season and the attendant flood of school absences
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
An attendant told police Maurad-Avecilla used the victim’s identification to rent the room for six hours. Grethel Aguila, Miami Herald, 26 Feb. 2024 There was no mention of whether the attendant making the sale did any kind of double-take after carding her and getting a gander of the most famous driver’s license in the history of pop culture. Chris Willman, Variety, 25 Feb. 2024 Only Delta Air Lines, whose attendants are nonunion, currently pays during boarding. David Koenig, Quartz, 13 Feb. 2024 While groups may receive multiple visits from roaming beverage cart attendants during a round, the sporadic nature of this service creates a coverage gap. Mike Dojc, Forbes, 15 Feb. 2024 The bill also would require that seatbelts be worn while the bus is in motion, and that bus drivers or attendants ensure that no student is standing while the bus is moving. Thomas Goodwin Smith, Baltimore Sun, 14 Feb. 2024 The forecast of the vanishing middle class (and its attendant problems) is the greatest problem facing Mecklenburg County in the next decade. Charlotte Observer, 8 Feb. 2024 The complaint says agents routinely leave keys in their bureau cars in the garage so that attendants can move them around. Paul Duggan, Washington Post, 7 Feb. 2024 While working as an attendant on the August flight from Atlanta to Seattle, Amber answered a passenger's urgent plea for help. Kimberlee Speakman, Peoplemag, 6 Feb. 2024
Adjective
Two other discs contain concert recordings from Dortmund, Germany, and Los Angeles from 1983, and there’s a Blu-ray that contains the album in Atmos, 5.1 surround sound, a new stereo remix, and an instrumental mix of the album in addition to the record’s attendant music videos. Kory Grow, Rolling Stone, 1 Mar. 2024 Several other lawmakers had been prepared with amendments that would specifically address the attendant care program. Brittany Carloni, The Indianapolis Star, 7 Feb. 2024 Martha Stewart is prepared for anything — including a swim (and the attendant thirst trap) at a moment's notice. Hedy Phillips, Peoplemag, 26 Feb. 2024 The researchers asked the participants questions about how these scenes, and their attendant emotions, influenced cognitive factors known to sway decisions on whether to commit a crime. Ingrid Wickelgren, Scientific American, 21 Feb. 2024 On top of that, promotion without an attendant pay increase (a not uncommon practice) is likely to be viewed negatively. Jason Richmond, Forbes, 20 Feb. 2024 It’s connected to confidence, with its attendant rush of dopamine, and to joy. Louisa Thomas, The New Yorker, 11 Feb. 2024 Advertisers deem it worth spending huge amounts for the opportunity to be seen by a massive live audience of 100 million viewers, as well as the before and after attendant interest generated sometimes overshadowing the game itself. Phillip Molnar, San Diego Union-Tribune, 2 Feb. 2024 In the meantime, after spending 148 days and 118 days on strike, respectively, the WGA and SAG-AFTRA both touted their new streaming success bonuses as major achievements of the work stoppages and their attendant sacrifices. Katie Kilkenny, The Hollywood Reporter, 25 Jan. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'attendant.' 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

Noun

see attend

Adjective

see attend

First Known Use

Noun

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adjective

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

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

Dictionary Entries Near attendant

Cite this Entry

“Attendant.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/attendant. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

attendant

1 of 2 adjective
at·​ten·​dant ə-ˈten-dənt How to pronounce attendant (audio)
: accompanying or following as a result

attendant

2 of 2 noun
1
: one who goes with or serves another
a bride and her attendants
2
: an employee who waits on customers
a gas station attendant

Medical Definition

attendant

noun
at·​ten·​dant ə-ˈten-dənt How to pronounce attendant (audio)
: a person who attends another to perform a service
ward attendants

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