{"id":6992,"date":"2022-08-20T05:32:34","date_gmt":"2022-08-20T05:32:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/english-grammar-lessons.com\/?p=6992"},"modified":"2022-08-22T22:33:25","modified_gmt":"2022-08-22T22:33:25","slug":"attn-meaning","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/english-grammar-lessons.com\/attn-meaning\/","title":{"rendered":"Attn \u2013 Meaning, Origin and Usage"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Are you mailing a letter to someone? Mark it for their \u2018<strong>Attn<\/strong>\u2019 to ensure it gets into their hands. This post unpacks the meaning and origin of this abbreviation.<\/p>\n<h2><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-6993 size-full\" style=\"font-family: 'Fira Sans Condensed', serif; font-size: 16px;\" src=\"https:\/\/english-grammar-lessons.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/attn.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"474\" height=\"327\" srcset=\"https:\/\/english-grammar-lessons.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/attn.jpg 474w, https:\/\/english-grammar-lessons.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/attn-300x207.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 474px) 100vw, 474px\" \/><\/h2>\n<h2>Meaning<\/h2>\n<p>The abbreviation \u2018Attn\u2019 stands for \u2018Attention\u2019 or \u2018for the attention of.\u2019 It means that the received communication or parcel is for the direct attention of someone. It\u2019s common for this abbreviation to feature in formal communications between companies.<\/p>\n<p>\u2018Attn\u2019 is an abbreviation of \u2018Attention,\u2019 which refers to the cognitive and behavioral processes of concentrating selectively on a specific piece of information. The information could be objective or subjective, and the reader focuses on it while ignoring other data.<\/p>\n<p>If you receive a parcel marked for your attention, no one else can open it but you. If another person opens it, they violate the law and could be charged with a crime. Mail fraud is a serious felony, and you could end up in prison for the transgression.<\/p>\n<h2>Example Usage<\/h2>\n<p>\"Be a dear and post this letter for me. Please mark it 'Attn: Finance Department, so they know where to send it when it arrives.\"<\/p>\n<p>\"I'm about to send the email to management. Do you want me to mark it 'Attn' to anyone specific? Or should I title it to the entire department?\"<\/p>\n<p>\"I need to send this registered letter to the tax authorities. Please can you mark it 'Attn: late returns' for me? I don't want it getting lost in their mail room.\"<\/p>\n<p>\"Attn: The beach is closed due to a shark sighting. Authorities will notify the public when the beach is safe to use. Stay out of the water until further notice.\"<\/p>\n<p>\"Please mark the email 'Attn: Accounting Department' in the title. If you don't, it will end up in the junk mail folder, and no one will see it.\"<\/p>\n<p>\"Attn: These premises are closed for renovation. No one is allowed on site due to liability issues. The police will arrest you if you are caught on-site.\"<\/p>\n<p>\"I received a registered letter marked 'Attn: George Hamilton.\" That's not my name. What do I do with the letter?\"<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-6994 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/english-grammar-lessons.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/attn2.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"474\" height=\"474\" srcset=\"https:\/\/english-grammar-lessons.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/attn2.jpg 474w, https:\/\/english-grammar-lessons.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/attn2-300x300.jpg 300w, https:\/\/english-grammar-lessons.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/attn2-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/english-grammar-lessons.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/attn2-120x120.jpg 120w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 474px) 100vw, 474px\" \/><\/p>\n<h2>Origin<\/h2>\n<p>The abbreviation 'Attn' is a contraction of the word 'Attention.' Language experts are unsure when the abbreviation first appeared in English. However, some experts think it entered the modern lexicon through formal business and government communications in the early 1900s.<\/p>\n<p>William James defined the word 'attention' in 1890 with the following description.<\/p>\n<p>\"Attention is the taking possession by the mind, in clear and vivid form, of one out of what seem several simultaneously possible objects or trains of thought. Focalization, concentration, of consciousness are of its essence.\"<\/p>\n<p>Some contractions, such as Attn, use the core letters of their fully-expanded wording. Other contractions, such as 'Dr,' use the letters at the beginning and end of the fully-expanded word or term. You can also create contractions by replacing letters with an apostrophe.<\/p>\n<div style=\"text-align: center;\">\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Attn Meaning\" width=\"512\" height=\"288\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/0hGZZayT-ls?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<h2>Phrases Similar to Attn<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>For the attention of.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Phrases Opposite to Attn<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>To whom it may concern.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>What is the Correct Saying?<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>Attn.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Ways People May Say Attn Incorrectly<\/h2>\n<p>Some people may use the term and the words \u2018for the attn of.\u2019 However, using \u2018Attn\u2019 includes these words in the expression, making the other wording redundant. The phrase doesn\u2019t mean that someone demands your attention.<\/p>\n<h2>Acceptable Ways to Phrase Attn<\/h2>\n<p>You can use the abbreviation \u2018Attn\u2019 in email and written communications. The term means that you\u2019re marking the transmission to the direct attention of a specific person. It\u2019s also a way of saying it is for \u2018their eyes only.\u2019 The phase suits professional communications in business and commerce.<\/p>\n<p>Most people use the abbreviation instead of writing out the entire word. The term \u2018Attn\u2019 can also mean \u2018for the attention of.\u2019 It reduces the amount of work involved when addressing a letter, email, or written communication. Use it when sending a formal registered letter or when titling an email to a general information address.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p class=\"mb-2\">Are you mailing a letter to someone? Mark it for their \u2018Attn\u2019 to ensure it gets into their hands. This post unpacks the meaning and origin of this abbreviation. Meaning The abbreviation \u2018Attn\u2019 stands for \u2018Attention\u2019 or \u2018for the attention of.\u2019 It means that the received communication or parcel is for the direct attention of [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/english-grammar-lessons.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6992"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/english-grammar-lessons.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/english-grammar-lessons.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/english-grammar-lessons.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/english-grammar-lessons.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6992"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/english-grammar-lessons.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6992\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":8109,"href":"https:\/\/english-grammar-lessons.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6992\/revisions\/8109"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/english-grammar-lessons.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6992"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/english-grammar-lessons.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6992"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/english-grammar-lessons.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6992"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}