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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 Lord …John 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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
So Darren held my soufflé and pretzel brownie while an attendant escorted me to the spa. Zach Helfand, New Yorker, 24 Nov. 2025 Valet parking attendants take a driver’s vehicle and park it in one of 225 dedicated spaces on the Departures or arrivals level. Miami Herald, 22 Nov. 2025
Adjective
The park gets a fraction of the visitors to the Great Smoky Mountains just over 100 miles to the southeast, and has attracted little of its attendant tourist amenities. Chris Kenning, USA Today, 25 Nov. 2025 In another case, in 2015, Daniel Ridge, a morgue employee at Alameda Health System, was working seven days a week while the hospital sought to fill a vacant attendant role. Chase Hunter, Mercury News, 24 Nov. 2025 See All Example Sentences for attendant

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

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Cite this Entry

“Attendant.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/attendant. Accessed 29 Nov. 2025.

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

More from Merriam-Webster on attendant

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