Meaning & use
attorneys
Last updated
“attorneys” is a form of “attorney”. See that entry for the full set of meanings.
Meanings
nouncountableAmericanlegal
lawyers; people whose job is to advise about the law and speak for others in court
Grammar: This is the plural of attorney. Use it with plural verbs: the attorneys are here.
Patterns
- hire an attorney
- the attorney for someone
- attorneys for the company
Both attorneys stood up when the judge entered the room.
The family hired two attorneys to handle the sale of the house.
Attorneys usually charge by the hour for their advice.
nouncountableformallegal
people with official power to act for someone else in business or legal matters
Grammar: This is a formal use. It often appears in the phrase power of attorney, which gives this power.
Patterns
- attorneys for someone
- appoint someone as attorney
She named her sister as one of her attorneys in case she became ill.
The two attorneys signed the contract on behalf of the elderly man.
Word forms
| singular | attorney |
|---|---|
| plural | attorneys |
Common combinations
- defense attorney
- The defense attorney questioned the witness for an hour.
- district attorney
- The district attorney decided to bring charges against the driver.
- power of attorney
- He gave his son power of attorney before the operation.
- attorney general
- The attorney general announced a new investigation.
Synonyms and how they differ
- lawyer
- Lawyer is the general word everywhere; attorney is the usual word in American legal use and sounds more official.
- solicitor
- This is the British word for a lawyer who gives advice and prepares documents, not the American word attorney.
- counsel
- Counsel is a formal word for a lawyer, especially one speaking in court; it can also mean the legal team as a group.
Word family
- attorney noun
- One lawyer; the singular form of this word.
Commonly confused: attorneys or attorneys general?
attorneys vs attorneys general
The plural of attorney general is usually attorneys general in formal writing, not attorney generals.
Practice
The company's ___ reviewed the contract before the meeting.
Choose one answer.
The sentence needs a plural noun after 'the company's', so attorneys is correct. 'Attorneies' is a misspelling; the plural of attorney is attorneys.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “attorneys”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.