attach
Americanverb (used with object)
-
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)
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:
After nitration occurs, HGF can no longer attach effectively to the receptor.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 24, 2026
Under the California Vehicle Code, it is illegal for anyone on an e-bike, bicycle, motorcycle or roller skates to attach themselves to another vehicle on a road.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 18, 2026
Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism all attach moral significance to voluntary self-denial.
From BBC ● Jul. 16, 2026
Mikko offered a hypothetical: a manufacturer, he said, could ship a car to Finland without its side mirrors and attach them locally, just enough to make it seem assembled there and dodge the tariff.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 7, 2026
It is the size of a large postcard, attached to the black ribbon the way one might attach a gift card to a present.
From "The Night Circus" by Erin Morgenstern
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
That “Supergirl” was intergalactically rotten, so no legacy of great expectation attaches to the new film of the same name.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 25, 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
The female Tiphia, finding a beetle grub in the soil, injects a paralyzing fluid and attaches a single egg to the undersurface of the grub.
From "Silent Spring" by Rachel Carson
Every few minutes, I peeled it from my skin and transferred it to the other side, where it promptly attached itself again.
From Salon ● Aug. 4, 2026
The fee would be attached to a program called optional practical training, or OPT, which allows international university graduates to work for one to three years on their student visas.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 30, 2026
As the Games approach, when venue designs are finalized, seats are assigned and tickets open to a first-come, first-served basis, there will likely be other chances to buy tickets with special seat assignments attached.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 29, 2026
“There is no cash flow attached to them and they could easily be reversed,” Windsor wrote of the equity impacts.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 23, 2026
For effect, she gave a little shake on the leash ends of the TOT, just as if they were a set of reins attached to a pony’s bridle.
From "The Unseen Guest" by Maryrose Wood
It is extending the border fence out to sea, attaching long lines of orange buoys to the jetty which ships will then patrol to deter future swimmers.
From BBC ● Aug. 2, 2026
For most of his career, he found his relevance by attaching himself to those who were.
From Slate ● Jul. 14, 2026
Serotonin communicates by attaching to receptors on a cell's surface.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 12, 2026
There is a difference, albeit a fine one, between attaching strings and asking your children to be accountable for how they use the money you give them by discussing their dreams and financial goals.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 19, 2026
She tugs wires toward her, attaching them to me, to her, to the machine behind her.
From "Divergent" by Veronica Roth
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.
