at

1 of 7

preposition

ət,
ˈat How to pronounce at (audio)
1
used as a function word to indicate presence or occurrence in, on, or near
staying at a hotel
at a party
sick at heart
2
used as a function word to indicate the goal of an indicated or implied action or motion
aim at the target
creditors are at him again
3
used as a function word to indicate that with which one is occupied or employed
at work
at the controls
good at chess
4
used as a function word to indicate situation in an active or passive state or condition
at liberty
at rest
5
used as a function word to indicate the means, cause, or manner
sold at auction
laughed at my joke
act at your own discretion
6
a
used as a function word to indicate the rate, degree, or position in a scale or series
the temperature at 90
at first
b
used as a function word to indicate age or position in time
will retire at 65

at

2 of 7

noun

variants or less commonly att
plural at also att
: a monetary subunit of the kip see kip at Money Table

at

3 of 7

verb

less common spelling of @ entry 2

transitive verb

informal
: to respond to, challenge, or disparage the claim or opinion of (someone)
usually used in the phrase don't @ me
It goes without saying that Lucille Ball's comedic timing is unmatched—don't @ me, you'll be wrong.Matt Brennan
I'll cut right to the chase: Men should be able to wear makeup, don't at me.Carine Green

at

4 of 7

abbreviation (1)

1
airtight
2
atmosphere
3
atomic

At

5 of 7

symbol

astatine

AT

6 of 7

abbreviation (2)

1
air temperature
2
ampere-turn
3
4
usually A-T ataxia-telangiectasia
… joined the fight to find a cure for ataxia-telangiectasia, also known as A-T, a rare but deadly genetic disease that currently afflicts about 600 U.S. children, causing neurological deterioration and usually proving fatal by their 20s.Thomas Fields-Meyer
5
6
automatic transmission

at-

7 of 7

prefix

see ad-

Examples of at in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Preposition
Wide selection of original art will be for sale at the gallery and online. Luann Gibbs, The Enquirer, 3 Nov. 2024 Merchandise is available at Lucas Oil Stadium Saturday and Sunday night. Holly V. Hays, The Indianapolis Star, 3 Nov. 2024 The trio was at the foot of the stage when shots started ringing out. The New Yorker, 2 Nov. 2024 The Sun and The Times reported at the time that the security was estimated to cost King Charles nearly $4 million annually. Brenton Blanchet, People.com, 2 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for at 

Word History

Etymology

Preposition

Middle English, from Old English æt; akin to Old High German az at, Latin ad

Noun

Lao

First Known Use

Preposition

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

1955, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of at was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near at

Cite this Entry

“At.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/at. Accessed 7 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

at

1 of 2 preposition
ət,
(ˈ)at
1
used to indicate location in space or time
staying at a hotel
be here at six
sick at heart
2
used to indicate a goal that an action is aimed towards
aim at the target
laugh at him
3
used to indicate a condition one is in
at work
at liberty
at rest
4
used to indicate how or why
sold at auction
angry at his answer
5
used to indicate the rate, degree, age, or position in a scale or series
the temperature at 90
retire at 65

at-

2 of 2
see ad-

Medical Definition

at

1 of 3 abbreviation
airtight

At

2 of 3 symbol
astatine

AT

3 of 3 abbreviation
1
assistive technology
2
usually A-T ataxia-telangiectasia
3

More from Merriam-Webster on at

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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