attorney
Definitions
A lawyer, especially one qualified to act for clients in legal matters (chiefly American English).
律师（尤指美式英语中有资格代理客户法律事务的律师）。
A person legally appointed to act on another's behalf, as in 'power of attorney.'
（受委托的）代理人，如 power of attorney（授权委托书）。
Root Breakdown
Root-derivedFrom Old French *atorné*, past participle of *atorner* 'to turn to, assign' (a-/ad- 'to' + tornāre 'turn'). An attorney is literally 'one who is turned to' — appointed and directed toward a task, to act on someone else's behalf. The everyday twist/turn image faded, leaving the legal sense.
Root tort still carries 27 more wordsWhy It Means This
The least obvious member of the family. The link to 'twist/turn' lies in being 'turned toward' a duty — appointed. In American usage, attorney is the standard word for a practising lawyer; the phrase 'power of attorney' preserves the older, broader sense of anyone authorized to act for you.
Common Collocations
- 1.defense attorney辩护律师
- 2.district attorney地区检察官
- 3.power of attorney授权委托书
- 4.attorney at law执业律师
- 5.hire an attorney聘请律师
Example Sentences
- 1.
She hired an attorney to handle the property dispute.
- 2.
The district attorney decided to press charges.
- 3.
He gave his sister power of attorney over his finances.
Easily Confused
attorney vs lawyer — in everyday American English they overlap, but lawyer is the general term for anyone trained in law, while attorney emphasizes someone authorized to act for a client. In British English, lawyer is standard and attorney is rare outside 'power of attorney.'