attic

noun at·tic \ ˈa-tik \

Updated on: 21 May 2018

Definition of attic

1 : a low story or wall above the main order of a facade in the classical styles

2 : a room behind an attic

3 : a room or a space immediately below the roof of a building : garret

4 : something resembling an attic (as in being used for storage)

See attic defined for English-language learners

See attic defined for kids

Examples of attic in a Sentence

rented the attic out to a college student

Recent Examples of attic from the Web

Our history books are full of lives memorialized in letters that people write, receive, and then store away in the drawer or in the attic.

— alex kingsbury, BostonGlobe.com, "You’ve got mail — for now," 10 May 2018
North Kansas City fire Chief Dave Hargis said the fire traveled up the wall and got trapped in several void spaces in the attic.

— glenn e. rice, kansascity, "Discarded cigarette caused massive fire in North Kansas City office building | The Kansas City Star," 9 May 2018
Firefighters got most of the flames knocked down in the attic about 20 minutes later, Muñoz said.

— pauline repard, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Power tools spark $150,000-blaze at Otay Mesa house," 28 Apr. 2018
What if the seller removed a ceiling fan or left junk in the attic?

— kenya burrell-vanwormer, Houston Chronicle, "Realtor View: Final walk-through of home a must before you sign on dotted line," 6 Apr. 2018
While exploring an old mansion, siblings Peter and Judy find a curious, jungle-themed game called Jumanji in the attic.

— gege reed, The Courier-Journal, "Looking for something to do? Check out these events in Louisville starting Thursday," 31 Oct. 2017
Officers then went to the family’s home and found Jeffrey asleep on a mat in an unheated attic.

— laura crimaldi, BostonGlobe.com, "Documents: Winchester suspect’s interactions with police," 7 Mar. 2018
In total, the castle features seven bedrooms, five bathrooms, two kitchens, two living rooms, three offices, a cellar and an attic.

— brigit katz, Smithsonian, "Rubens’ Sprawling Castle in the Belgian Countryside Is on the Market," 2 Mar. 2018
Rubinstein's account of hiding from the Nazis, sharing space in an attic where his family and others lived for quite some time, and enduring and witnessing other events seemed to hold students and adults riveted.

— pioneer press, chicagotribune.com, "Skokie eighth graders create documentaries that preserve Holocaust survivors' stories," 29 Jan. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'attic.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of attic

French attique, from attique of Attica, from Latin Atticus

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: circa 1696

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

attic Synonyms

Synonyms

garret, loft;

Related Words

hayloft;

Other Architecture Terms

buttress, casita, cornice, fanlight, garret, lintel, parapet, pilaster, plinth

Attic

adjective At·tic \ ˈa-tik \

Definition of Attic

1 : of, relating to, or having the characteristics of Athens or its ancient civilization

2 : marked by simplicity, purity, and refinement

an Attic prose style

See Attic defined for kids

Origin and Etymology of attic

Latin Atticus of Attica, from Greek Attikos, from Attikē Attica, Greece

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1577

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

Other Archaeology Terms

Byzantine, Paleolithic, cairn, core, flint, horizon, neolithic, shard, stratum

Attic

noun

Definition of Attic

: a dialect of ancient Greek originally used in Attica and later the literary language of the Greek-speaking world

First Known Use of attic

1653

in the meaning defined above

See Words from the same year

NEW! Time Traveler

Other Language Terms

cognate, collocation, homonym

ATTIC Defined for English Language Learners

attic

noun

Definition of attic for English Language Learners

: a room or space that is just below the roof of a building and that is often used to store things

ATTIC Defined for Kids

attic

noun at·tic \ ˈa-tik \

Definition of attic for Students

: a room or a space just under the roof of a building

Medical Dictionary

attic

noun at·tic \ ˈat-ik \

medical Definition of attic

: the small upper space of the middle ear — called also epitympanic recess

Learn More about attic

See words that rhyme with attic Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for attic Spanish Central: Translation of attic Nglish: Translation of attic for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of attic for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about attic

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attic

Definition of attic

Examples of attic in a Sentence

Recent Examples of attic from the Web

Origin and Etymology of attic

attic Synonyms

Synonyms

Related Words

Other Architecture Terms

Attic

Definition of Attic

Origin and Etymology of attic

Other Archaeology Terms

Attic

Definition of Attic

First Known Use of attic

Other Language Terms

Phrases Related to ATTIC

Related Phrases

ATTIC Defined for English Language Learners

attic

Definition of attic for English Language Learners

ATTIC Defined for Kids

attic

Definition of attic for Students

Medical Dictionary

attic

medical Definition of attic

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