Attorney

Pronunciation

• IPA: /əˈtɜː(ɹ)ni
• Rhymes: -ɜː(ɹ)ni

Origin

Old French atornee, feminine past participle of atorner (to prepare, to ready), compare attorn

Full definition of attorney

Noun

1. (US) A lawyer; one who advises or represents others in legal matters as a profession.
2. An agent or representative authorized to act on someone else's behalf.

Usage notes

In the "agent" sense, the word is now used to refer to nonlawyers usually only in fixed phrases such as attorney-in-fact or power of attorney.

Synonyms

• mouthpiece slang
• advocate

Derived terms