attach

American  

[uh-tach] / əˈtætʃ /

verb (used with object)

1. to fasten or affix; join; connect.

   to attach a photograph to an application with a staple.

   Synonyms:

   annex, add, append, subjoin

   Antonyms:

   detach

2. to join in action or function; make part of.

   to attach oneself to a group.

3. Military. to place on temporary duty with or in assistance to a military unit.

4. to include as a quality or condition of something.

   One proviso is attached to this legacy.

5. to assign or attribute.

   to attach significance to a gesture.

6. to bind by ties of affection or regard.

   You always attach yourself to people who end up hurting you.

7. Law. to take (persons or property) by legal authority.

8. Obsolete. to lay hold of; seize.

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verb (used without object)

1. to adhere; pertain; belong (usually followed by to orupon ).

   No blame attaches to him.

attach British  

/ əˈtætʃ /

verb

1. to join, fasten, or connect

2. (reflexive or passive) to become associated with or join, as in a business or other venture

   he attached himself to the expedition

3. to be inherent (in) or connected (with)

   responsibility attaches to the job

4. to attribute or ascribe

   to attach importance to an event

5. to include or append, esp as a condition

   a proviso is attached to the contract

6. (usually passive) military to place on temporary duty with another unit

7. (usually passive) to put (a member of an organization) to work in a different unit or agency, either with an expectation of reverting to, or while retaining some part of, the original working arrangement

8. to appoint officially

9. law to arrest or take (a person, property, etc) with lawful authority

10. obsolete to seize

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attach Idioms  

1. see no strings attached.

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Other Word Forms

• attachable
  adjective
• attacher
  noun
• reattach
  verb
• reattachable
  adjective
• unattachable
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of attach

First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English atachen, from Anglo-French atacher “to seize,” Old French atachier “to fasten,” alteration of estachier “to fasten with or to a stake,” from estach(e), from Frankish stakka “stake”; cf. stake ¹

Explanation

Use the verb attach when you need to join things together, like a stamp that you attach to a letter. When you attach something, you join it or tie it to something else. The word can be used to show physically joining things, like a printer that you attach to your computer, or to show a strong personal connection. For example, you can attach yourself to a political cause or to a group of friends.

Example Sentences

There, mycorrhizal fungi attach to the cells of a plant’s roots and spread out threadlike filaments, searching for nutrients and water to supply to the plant in return for carbon.

From Los Angeles Times • May 19, 2026

We’re told that White House staffer James Braid, who worked for Mr. Vance when he was an Ohio Senator, is pressing Republicans to attach a version of the Veep’s Railway Safety Act.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 17, 2026

Arcuri said in a Monday note that the attach rate of CPUs to AI chips should grow about five times through 2030, citing conversations with experts.

From MarketWatch • May 6, 2026

"If you find a skeleton that's missing teeth, sometimes it's hard to attach it to a name."

From Science Daily • Apr. 27, 2026

Then I hunted around for a place to attach the rope.

From "The Bell Jar" by Sylvia Plath

Related Words

• add
• adhere
• affix
• connect
• fix
• hook up
• link
• secure
• stick
• tie