At

/æt/ adj, noun, prep, pron, verb, slang

adj, noun, prep, pron, verb, slang ·Common ·High school level

Meaning at a glance

  • Primary sense: The at sign (@).
  • Grammar: at is listed as adj, noun, prep, pron, verb, slang.
  • Nearest alternatives: among, astatine, at sign, atomic number 85.
  • Useful contrasts: errors in counting, in head calculation, away.
  • Usage evidence: For some reason I feel more alive at night.

How to use "at"

  1. Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
  2. Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "at" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
  3. Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.

Meaning check

  • Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
  • Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
  • Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
  • Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?

Source and review context

This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "at" in a final draft.

If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.

Before you rely on this definition

Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "at" as the right word for your sentence.

If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "at" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.

Compare nearby meanings

  • Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
  • Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
  • Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
  • Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.

Definition decision workflow

1. Identify the role

Check whether "at" is acting as adj, noun, prep, pron, verb, slang in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.

2. Test the nearest option

Compare it with "among" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.

3. Confirm with context

Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.

Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.

Final meaning check

Before publishing a sentence with "at", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.

When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.

Definitions

Noun
  1. 1
    The at sign (@).
  2. 2
    Alternative form of att (Laos currency unit) alt-of, alternative
  3. 3
    Initialism of assistive technology. abbreviation, alt-of, countable, initialism, uncountable
  4. 4
    100 at equal 1 kip in Laos wordnet
  5. 5
    Initialism of auxiliary tugboat. Navy, US, abbreviation, alt-of, countable, initialism, uncountable
Show 8 more definitions
  1. 6
    a highly unstable radioactive element (the heaviest of the halogen series); a decay product of uranium and thorium wordnet
  2. 7
    Initialism of anaerobic threshold. US, abbreviation, alt-of, countable, initialism, uncountable
  3. 8
    Initialism of alternate timeline. abbreviation, alt-of, countable, initialism, uncountable
  4. 9
    Initialism of aerotriangulation. abbreviation, alt-of, countable, initialism, uncountable
  5. 10
    Initialism of appropriate technology. abbreviation, alt-of, countable, initialism, uncountable
  6. 11
    Abbreviation of air tanker. abbreviation, alt-of, countable, uncountable
  7. 12
    Initialism of activity theory. abbreviation, alt-of, countable, initialism, uncountable
  8. 13
    Ukrainian initialism of акціонерне товариство (akcionerne tovarystvo, “JSC”) countable, uncountable
Verb
  1. 1
    Rare form of @; to reply to or talk to someone, either online or face-to-face. (from the practice of targeting a message or reply to someone online by writing @name) form-of, informal, neologism, rare

    "If you have questions or observations on my discussion questions, feel free to reply to this email, at me on Twitter, or comment on the companion post on AMV."

Adjective
  1. 1
    Initialism of antitank. abbreviation, alt-of, initialism
Preposition
  1. 1
    In, near, or in the general vicinity of (a particular place).

    "Caesar was at Rome."

  2. 2
    In, near, or in the general vicinity of (a particular place).; Attending (an educational institution).

    "She's at Oxford University, studying chemistry."

  3. 3
    In, near, or in the general vicinity of (a particular place).; Working for (a company) or in (a place or situation).

    "He used to be at Lehman Brothers. Now he's at Merrill Lynch."

  4. 4
    In, near, or in the general vicinity of (a particular place).; Indicating distance or direction relative to the speaker.

    "Target at five miles. Prepare torpedoes."

  5. 5
    Present or taking place during (an event).

    "Was he at the meeting?"

Show 16 more definitions
  1. 6
    Indicating time of occurrence, especially an instant of time, or a period of time relatively short in context or from the speaker’s perspective.

    "at six o’clock; at dawn; at closing time; at the age of twelve; at night; at the moment"

  2. 7
    Indicating time of occurrence, especially an instant of time, or a period of time relatively short in context or from the speaker’s perspective.; (also as at; before dates) On (a particular date). Commonwealth, Ireland, UK, especially

    "balance as at 20th March 1999"

  3. 8
    In the direction of; towards; (often implied to be in a hostile or careless manner).

    "Don’t just talk at someone; really listen to what they have to say."

  4. 9
    Indicating action bearing upon something, especially continued or repeated action.

    "Don't pick at your food!"

  5. 10
    In response or reaction to.

    "At my request, they agreed to move us to another hotel."

  6. 11
    Occupied in (activity).

    "men at work; children at play"

  7. 12
    In a state of.

    "The two countries are at war."

  8. 13
    Subject to.

    "We hope that the event will go ahead, but we are at the whim of the weather."

  9. 14
    Denotes a price.

    "3 apples at 2¢ (each)"

  10. 15
    Indicates a position on a scale or in a series.

    "Sell at $90."

  11. 16
    In certain phrases, used to indicate the manner in which something happens or is done.

    "The car came towards me at speed."

  12. 17
    Indicates a specific speed or rate that is maintained by something.

    "We were cruising along at well over the speed limit of fifty miles per hour."

  13. 18
    Indicates a means or method.

    "'How was the painting sold?' — 'At auction.'"

  14. 19
    On the subject of; regarding.

    "The twins were both bad at chemistry."

  15. 20
    Bothering, irritating, causing discomfort to Ireland

    "I think ‘Jesus, my back is at me’. Then I get the ball. Off you go for 10 yards and you don’t feel a thing. Then you stop and think: ‘Jesus, it’s at me again’[.]"

  16. 21
    Also used in various other idiomatic combinations: at a pinch, at all, at fault, at pains, at risk, at that, etc.; see the individual entries.
Pronoun
  1. 1
    Alternative form of 'at (relative pronoun; reduced form of “that” and/or “what”). Northern-England, alt-of, alternative, obsolete, possibly, rare

    "Tak us t’ foxes, t’ little foxes at spoils t’ veynes: fer our veynes hev tender grapes."

Synonyms

All synonyms
amongastatineat signatomic number 85be located atby

Antonyms

errors in countingin head calculationawayaway from

Example

"For some reason I feel more alive at night."

Common questions

What does "at" mean?

The at sign (@).

What is a synonym for "at"?

Common synonyms include: among, astatine, at sign, atomic number 85, be located at, by.

How do you use "at" in a sentence?

For some reason I feel more alive at night.

How do you pronounce "at"?

Pronounced /æt/.

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *h₂éd Proto-Germanic *at Old English æt Middle English at English at From Middle English at, from Old English æt (“at, near, by, toward”), from Proto-Germanic *at (“at, near, to”), from Proto-Indo-European *h₂éd (“near, at”). Cognate with Scots at (“at”), North Frisian äät, äit, et, it (“at”), Danish at (“to”), Swedish åt (“for, toward”), Norwegian åt (“to”), Faroese at (“at, to, toward”), Icelandic að (“to, towards”), Gothic 𐌰𐍄 (at, “at”), Latin ad (“to, near”).

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