DictionaryAI

at

AT/æt/

16 meanings of at

Practice

  1. 1
    placepreposition
    Used to say where someone or something is or where something happens: in, near or present at a place, an event, or an organization or school where someone works or studies.

    The peace treaty was signed at Versailles.

    We sat at a table by the window.

    UsageTreats a place as a point: at the corner, at the table, but in the room, on the roof; also at home, at sea.

  2. 2
    momentpreposition
    Used to show the time or date at which something happens or a situation applies, as in 'at midnight' or, in accounts, 'as at 31 March'.

    The fire broke out at midnight.

    She published her first novel at the age of twenty.

    UsageFor clock times and moments: at six o'clock, at night, at the moment; but in the morning and on Monday.

  3. 3
    towardpreposition
    Toward someone or something as the target of an action, often one that is repeated, incomplete or hostile: look at; throw a stone at; chip at the ice.

    He had been chipping at the ice for an hour.

    She nibbled at the bread without appetite.

    UsageWith verbs of effort and touching: pick at, chip at, nibble at, work at; the action may stay unfinished.

    Note

    Grammarians call this the conative use: the action is aimed at its object without saying that it is finished. Eating your food clears the plate; picking at it leaves most of it there. The result suggests repetition or struggle rather than completion.

    Checked 3 Nov 2026 · 1 fact

    • Grammarians call the construction describing an attempted action without entailing its completion conative. pure-oai.bham.ac.uk
  4. 4
    preposition
    Used to give a level, value, price, rate, or speed, or a position on a scale, as in at 60 miles an hour or sold at five dollars each.

    The pound is at its lowest for a decade.

    Unemployment stands at six percent.

  5. 5
    preposition
    Used in various idiomatic combinations, each defined in its own entry.

    The driver was clearly at fault.

    She was at pains to explain the delay.

  6. 6
    preposition
    In a particular state or condition, or subject to someone's power or influence: at odds; at risk; at the mercy of the weather.

    The neighbors were at odds over the fence.

    The company is at a crossroads.

    UsageUse no article in at war, at peace, and at odds. Say at odds with someone over something.

  7. 7
    methodpreposition
    Used in phrases that say how, or by what means, something happens or is done, such as at length, at random, or at auction.

    The estate went at auction for a fraction of its worth.

    Names for the jury pool are drawn at random from the voter rolls.

Practice

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Origin

Proto-Indo-European *h₂éd ("near, at") led to Proto-Germanic *at ("at, near, to") and then to Old English æt ("at, near, by, toward"), which became Middle English at. Danish at, Swedish åt, Icelandic að, and Latin ad ("to, near") are related.

Checked 1 Nov 2026 · 7 facts