attachment

American  

[uh-tach-muhnt] / əˈtætʃ mənt /

noun

• attachments
  plural

1. an act of attaching or the state of being attached.

2. a feeling that binds one to a person, thing, cause, ideal, or the like; devotion; regard.

   a fond attachment to his cousin; a profound attachment to the cause of peace.

   Synonyms:

   devotedness, love

3. Psychology.

   1. an emotional bond between an infant or toddler and primary caregiver, a strong bond being vital for the child’s normal behavioral and social development.

   2. an enduring emotional bond that develops between one adult and another in an intimate relationship.

      romantic attachment.

4. something that attaches; a fastening or tie.

   the attachments of a harness; the attachments of a pair of skis.

   Synonyms:

   connection, junction

5. an additional or supplementary device.

   attachments for an electric drill.

6. Law. seizure of property or person by legal authority, especially seizure of a defendant's property to prevent its dissipation before trial or to acquire jurisdiction over it.

7. something attached, as a document added to a letter.

8. Digital Technology. a computer or electronic file sent with an email.

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attachment British  

/ əˈtætʃmənt /

noun

1. a means of securing; a fastening

2. (often foll by to) affection or regard (for); devotion (to)

   attachment to a person or to a cause

3. an object to be attached, esp a supplementary part

   an attachment for an electric drill

4. the act of attaching or the state of being attached

5. 1. the arrest of a person for disobedience to a court order

   2. the lawful seizure of property and placing of it under control of a court

   3. a writ authorizing such arrest or seizure

6. law the binding of a debt in the hands of a garnishee until its disposition has been decided by the court

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Synonym Usage

See addition.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• nonattachment
  noun
• overattachment
  noun
• preattachment
  noun
• reattachment
  noun
• self-attachment
  noun
• superattachment
  noun

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• attachments
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of attachment

First recorded in 1325–75; Middle English attachement “detention, distraint, seizure,” from Anglo-French; see attach, -ment

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Explanation

Attachment is a sticky word: an email attachment fastens a file to an email, while someone who has an attachment to email loves email. Attachment brings things together. Attachment is a word that's equal parts mechanical and emotional. Many gadgets — such as cameras and tractors — have attachments that allow them to get more done, like a tractor attachment for plowing snow. People have attachments to bands, political movements, sports teams, hobbies, and each other. It's important for babies to develop attachments to their parents — this means they're bonding with their parents. Attachment is a lot like duct tape — it fastens people and things together.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

attachment attachments

Wariness of grand liberal visions for the region, attachment to tradition and God among people who are not strictly observant, and a sense that family and community come before the individual.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 22, 2026

"If I send him upstairs, am I damaging him emotionally? Is he going to develop an attachment disorder because of this?"

From BBC ● Oct. 4, 2026

My wife feels a similar attachment to her great-aunt’s china, even though our children are unlikely to want it.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 29, 2026

Their work points to a metabolic pathway involving the attachment of sugar structures to proteins.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 27, 2026

He declared himself to be totally unsuspicious of her sister’s attachment; and she could not help remembering what Charlotte’s opinion had always been.

From "Pride and Prejudice" by Jane Austen

Jane Gardam, who died in 2025, highlights the longing of older people to establish attachments in the easy way of youth.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 15, 2026

Park told MarketWatch that “everyday people naturally anthropomorphize AI and treat it as something alive,” which helps them form attachments and make their AI really personal.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 3, 2026

An arborist can inspect trees for structural issues, such as cracks, weak attachments and decay, and will provide targeted pruning recommendations as needed.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 22, 2026

"Princess Ita was a young woman aged between 28 and 34 with strong upper-body muscle attachments, suggesting she habitually used weapons like maces or daggers," said Hashesh.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 30, 2026

He had all sorts of attachments connected to his body—a helicopter that came out of his hat, robot arm extenders, and bouncy springs in his legs that made him really tall really fast.

From "Ugly" by Robert Hoge

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Related Words

• affinity
• devotion
• friendship
• loyalty

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