attachment

[ uh-tach-muhnt ]

/ əˈtætʃ mənt /

Save This Word!

See synonyms for: attachment / attachments on Thesaurus.com

noun

an act of attaching or the state of being attached.

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.

Psychology.

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.
an enduring emotional bond that develops between one adult and another in an intimate relationship: romantic attachment.

something that attaches; a fastening or tie: the attachments of a harness; the attachments of a pair of skis.

an additional or supplementary device: attachments for an electric drill.

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.

something attached, as a document added to a letter.

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

OTHER WORDS FOR attachment

2 love, devotedness.

4 junction, connection.

See synonyms for attachment on Thesaurus.com

QUIZ

CAN YOU ANSWER THESE COMMON GRAMMAR DEBATES?

There are grammar debates that never die; and the ones highlighted in the questions in this quiz are sure to rile everyone up once again. Do you know how to answer the questions that cause some of the greatest grammar debates?

Question 1 of 7

Which sentence is correct?

His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of attachment

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

synonym study for attachment

5. See addition.

OTHER WORDS FROM attachment

non·at·tach·ment, nouno·ver·at·tach·ment, nounpre·at·tach·ment, nounre·at·tach·ment, noun

self-at·tach·ment, nounsu·per·at·tach·ment, noun

Words nearby attachment

attacca, attach, attaché, attaché case, attached, attachment, attachment disorder, attachment of earnings, attachment parenting, attachment theory, attack

How to use attachment in a sentence

The malware could be delivered via a thumb drive or in an email attachment.
The FBI broke up a Russian hacker plot to extort millions from Tesla|Aaron Pressman|August 28, 2020|Fortune
Made of aluminized steel and carrying a weight capacity of 22 pounds, it features an integrated cable management system, heavy duty C clamp, and an optional grommet attachment for installing the arm directly into a desk surface.
The best monitor arms for desk-mounting your display|PopSci Commerce Team|August 26, 2020|Popular-Science
To avoid having to hold anything while riding, you can get a bike seat attachment that connects to your dog’s leash.
The right way to walk your dog|John Kennedy|August 26, 2020|Popular-Science
Finally, attachment ensures partners stay together long enough to raise their own children—to provide the support needed to set the next generation on its way.
Your Romantic Ideals Don’t Predict Who Your Future Partner Will Be - Issue 88: Love & Sex|Alice Fleerackers|August 5, 2020|Nautilus

Even better, it’s possible to engineer attachment anchors onto these basic shapes, which makes it easy to play with different viral structures and see how those structural changes, in turn, alter our B cell response.
How Fake Viruses Can Help Us Make the Best Possible Vaccines|Shelly Fan|July 7, 2020|Singularity Hub
The problem with this attachment to a particular place, though, is that it can seem limiting.
Will Texas Stay Texan?|David Fontana|December 29, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Ivgy herself formed a special attachment to Zohar and says she “had a really hard time” once shooting wrapped.
‘Zero Motivation’: the Funny Side of the IDF|Melissa Leon|December 8, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Close attachment to autocratic regimes by the West pays short-term dividends but will antagonize generations of Muslims.
Why’s Al Qaeda So Strong? Washington Has (Literally) No idea|Bruce Riedel|November 9, 2014|DAILY BEAST
He retained a deep attachment to his mother, Judie McCain, and posted a photo of her on Facebook.
American Jihadis Douglas McCain and Troy Kastigar: From Losers to Martyrs|Michael Daly|August 28, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The locals worship their ancestors, and their attachment to family land is almost visceral.
Lush Places: The Scotland of India|Tunku Varadarajan|March 25, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Her attachment to impressionism leads this artist to many experiments in color—or, as one critic wrote, "to play with color."
Women in the fine arts, from the Seventh Century B.C. to the Twentieth Century A.D.|Clara Erskine Clement
Hence their presence elsewhere, in spite of their passionate attachment to their free native hills.
Glances at Europe|Horace Greeley
I believe there has been an attachment for some years, the gentleman's attentions are very marked.
The Pit Town Coronet, Volume I (of 3)|Charles James Wills
The second word should indicate by its consonants the numbers of the bones to which the attachment is made.
Assimilative Memory|Marcus Dwight Larrowe (AKA Prof. A. Loisette)
Her husband noticed, and thought it was the expression of a deep filial attachment which he had never suspected.
The Awakening and Selected Short Stories|Kate Chopin

British Dictionary definitions for attachment

attachment

/ (əˈtætʃmənt) /

noun

a means of securing; a fastening

(often foll by to) affection or regard (for); devotion (to)attachment to a person or to a cause

an object to be attached, esp a supplementary partan attachment for an electric drill

the act of attaching or the state of being attached

the arrest of a person for disobedience to a court order
the lawful seizure of property and placing of it under control of a court
a writ authorizing such arrest or seizure

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

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

attachment

OTHER WORDS FOR attachment

Origin of attachment

synonym study for attachment

OTHER WORDS FROM attachment

Words nearby attachment

Words related to attachment

How to use attachment in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for attachment