attach
Americanverb (used with object)
-
attaches,
present (3rd person singular)
-
attached,
past participle, past
-
attaching
present participle
-
to fasten or affix; join; connect.
to attach a photograph to an application with a staple.
- Antonyms:
- detach
-
to join in action or function; make part of.
to attach oneself to a group.
-
Military. to place on temporary duty with or in assistance to a military unit.
-
to include as a quality or condition of something.
One proviso is attached to this legacy.
-
to assign or attribute.
to attach significance to a gesture.
-
to bind by ties of affection or regard.
You always attach yourself to people who end up hurting you.
-
Law. to take (persons or property) by legal authority.
-
Obsolete. to lay hold of; seize.
verb (used without object)
-
attaches,
present (3rd person singular)
-
attached,
past participle, past
-
attaching
present participle
verb
-
to join, fasten, or connect
-
(reflexive or passive) to become associated with or join, as in a business or other venture
he attached himself to the expedition
-
to be inherent (in) or connected (with)
responsibility attaches to the job
-
to attribute or ascribe
to attach importance to an event
-
to include or append, esp as a condition
a proviso is attached to the contract
-
(usually passive) military to place on temporary duty with another unit
-
(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
-
to appoint officially
-
law to arrest or take (a person, property, etc) with lawful authority
-
obsolete to seize
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
attachsimple
-
attachessimple
-
have attachedperfect
-
has attachedperfect
-
am attachingprogressive
-
are attachingprogressive
-
is attachingprogressive
-
have been attachingperfect progressive
-
has been attachingperfect progressive
Past
-
attachedsimple
-
had attachedperfect
-
was attachingprogressive
-
were attachingprogressive
-
had been attachingperfect progressive
Future
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.
Vocabulary lists containing attach
"Hitching a Ride"
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
"The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet," Vocabulary from Act 5
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
"Growing Together" and "When I Grow Up"
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
The reason I’m in land is simple: You can’t attach a new data center to the grid anymore.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 7, 2026
After nitration occurs, HGF can no longer attach effectively to the receptor.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 24, 2026
Fasting has long been woven into political life in India, a country where many of the religions its citizens embrace attach moral significance to voluntary self-denial.
From BBC ● Jul. 20, 2026
Dey De Guzman helps Sabine Hoppner attach her climbing harness at a community event Saturday in Pasadena..
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 19, 2026
I tried to attach myself to the group I had followed down the road, but no luck; no luck for them either, if they did not have their identification-papers with them.
From "The Left Hand of Darkness" by Ursula K. Le Guin
But he now attaches a condition to that advice.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 4, 2026
It then attaches to c met receptors on satellite cells, the stem cells responsible for maintaining and repairing skeletal muscle.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 24, 2026
Doctors suspected she had a potentially fatal pregnancy complication called placenta percreta, where the placenta attaches itself and grows through the uterus.
From BBC ● Jun. 24, 2026
Roberts described the injury as “discomfort” at the back of Ohtani’s knee, around where the hamstring attaches.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 12, 2026
She attaches it to some readout device and pumps me up.
From "It’s Kind of a Funny Story" by Ned Vizzini
Seven years after being announced as Marvel’s vampire hunter, two-time Oscar winner Mahershala Ali confirms he is no longer attached to the long-delayed ‘Blade’ reboot.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 21, 2026
It involved former and serving marines from Plymouth's 30 Commando, Arbroath's 45 Commando and attached Army soldiers.
From BBC ● Aug. 20, 2026
Personal-finance experts warn that nontraditional payment channels don’t always share the same consumer-safety protections as options linked to traditional banks, and can come with unexpected fees attached.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 19, 2026
Silver ions were effective at cutting the DNA, but they also attached nonspecifically and caused precipitation.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 19, 2026
Finally, while they watched, the judge with the marking pen wrote on one of the blue ribbons and attached it to the worm box.
From "All About Sam" by Lois Lowry
“The brands are realizing that and attaching themselves more to longer-form content.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 19, 2026
Blossom said she had been searching for Fargo's owners, attaching a paper collar to him.
From BBC ● Aug. 9, 2026
It is now considering attaching a $100,000 price tag on international students’ ability to work in the U.S. after they graduate from an American university, The Wall Street Journal has reported.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 4, 2026
For most of his career, he found his relevance by attaching himself to those who were.
From Slate ● Jul. 14, 2026
Since staying at home meant hunger and chores, I began attaching myself to gangs of five-, six- and seven-year-old neighbourhood boys who daily roamed the filthy streets of Alexandra in search of food and adventure.
From "Kaffir Boy: An Autobiography" by Mark Mathabane
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
