attachment

[uh-tach-muhnt]

noun

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.

attachment

/ 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

Other Word Forms

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of attachment¹

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

Synonym Study

See addition.

Example Sentences

As this attachment deteriorated, the ice upstream began to flow more quickly, reducing the shelf's mechanical stability.

Read more on Science Daily

Police searched them and found "magnetised probes" and a mirror attachment for a phone allegedly used to rig games.

Read more on BBC

Or maybe you are looking for the excitement of a big city where English is widely spoken, have no family attachments and enjoy seasonal weather.

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An adduct is a bulky chemical attachment that forms when a compound, such as a carcinogen, binds directly to DNA.

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In 2023, sources told the New York Post that Rodgers had no plans to sell anytime soon because he developed a “sentimental attachment to the area.”

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Related Words

• affinity 
• devotion 
• friendship 
• loyalty