Attorney: meaning, definitions and examples
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attorney
[ əˈtəːni ]
legal profession
An attorney is a person who is legally qualified to represent someone in a court of law.
Synonyms
Which Synonym Should You Choose?
Word | Description / Examples |
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attorney |
Commonly used in the United States to refer to someone legally qualified to represent clients in legal matters. Often used in formal or official contexts.
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lawyer |
A general term for someone who practices law. It is broadly used in both formal and informal settings to describe someone qualified to offer legal services.
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counsel |
Used to refer to an advisor, especially in legal matters. Can refer to one or more lawyers representing someone in court. Often seen in formal situations.
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advocate |
Used to describe someone who supports or argues for a cause or on behalf of someone, especially in legal contexts. It is also common in British English to refer to lawyers.
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Examples of usage
- The attorney will defend the client in court.
- The attorney provided legal advice to the defendant.
general usage
An attorney can also refer to a person appointed to act on behalf of another in business or legal matters.
Synonyms
Which Synonym Should You Choose?
Word | Description / Examples |
---|---|
attorney |
Used in legal contexts to refer to a person who is professionally qualified to represent clients in a court of law.
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agent |
Refers to someone who acts on behalf of another person, often in business or creative industries. It can also imply someone who facilitates specific actions.
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representative |
Used in a more general sense to denote someone who represents or acts on behalf of others, often in a formal or official capacity.
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Examples of usage
- The power of attorney allowed him to make decisions on her behalf.
- She appointed an attorney to handle her financial affairs.
Translations
Translations of the word "attorney" in other languages:
🇵🇹 advogado
🇮🇳 वकील
🇩🇪 Anwalt
🇮🇩 pengacara
🇺🇦 адвокат
🇵🇱 adwokat
🇯🇵 弁護士
🇫🇷 avocat
🇪🇸 abogado
🇹🇷 avukat
🇰🇷 변호사
🇸🇦 محام
🇨🇿 advokát
🇸🇰 advokát
🇨🇳 律师
🇸🇮 odvetnik
🇮🇸 lögmaður
🇰🇿 адвокат
🇬🇪 ადვოკატი
🇦🇿 vəkil
🇲🇽 abogado
Etymology
The word 'attorney' originated from Middle English 'attourney', from Old French 'atorne', past participle of 'atorner' meaning 'to appoint, authorize, equip', based on Latin 'ad-' (to) + 'tornare' (to turn). The term originally referred to a person appointed to act for another, especially in legal matters, and has evolved to represent legal professionals.
Word Frequency Rank
At position #2,002, this word belongs to solid intermediate vocabulary. It's frequently used in both casual and formal contexts and is worth learning for better fluency.
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- 1999 experiences
- 2000 requested
- 2001 variation
- 2002 attorney
- 2003 summary
- 2004 birds
- 2005 significantly
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