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attaché

American  
[a-ta-shey, at-uh-, uh-tash-ey] / æ tæˈʃeɪ, ˌæt ə-, əˈtæʃ eɪ /

noun

  1. a diplomatic official attached to an embassy or legation, especially in a technical capacity.

    a commercial attaché;

    a cultural attaché.

  2. a military officer who is assigned to a diplomatic post in a foreign country in order to gather military information.

    an air attaché;

    an army attaché;

    a naval attaché.

  3. Also attache attaché case.

attaché British  
/ ataʃe, əˈtæʃeɪ /

noun

  1. a specialist attached to a diplomatic mission

    military attaché

  2. a junior member of the staff of an embassy or legation

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
attaché Cultural  

  1. A diplomatic officer attached to an embassy or consulate. Most attachés have specialties, such as military attachés, cultural attachés, economic attachés, and so forth.

Discover More

Some nations disguise spies as attachés.

Etymology

Origin of attaché

1825–35; < French: literally, attached, past participle of attacher to attach

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.

“It’s a five alarm emergency that’s dividing North America from Europe,” said John Foreman, a former U.K. defense attaché in Moscow and Kyiv.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 21, 2026

And in May, British diplomat Capt Adrian Coghill was given a week to leave Russia, days after the Russian defence attaché was expelled from London for alleged espionage as an "undeclared military intelligence officer".

From BBC • Feb. 6, 2025

Germany said he and his companion were kidnapped, and responded by summoning Vietnam’s ambassador for talks and expelling its intelligence attaché.

From Seattle Times • May 21, 2024

As an indication of warming ties, the Israeli military earlier on Monday appointed a colonel as defence attaché to Morocco.

From Reuters • Jul. 17, 2023

“He’s a junior attaché at the Russian Embassy,” Wolfenden said, stirring his coffee.

From Mysterious Mr. Sabin by Oppenheim, E. Phillips (Edward Phillips)

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.