attach

verb

at·tach | \ ə-ˈtach

attached; attaching; attaches

Definition of attach

transitive verb

1 : to take by legal authority especially under a writ attached the property

2a : to bring (oneself) into an association attached herself to their cause

b : to assign (an individual or unit in the military) temporarily

3 : to bind by personal ties (as of affection or sympathy) was strongly attached to his family

4 : to make fast (as by tying or gluing) attach a label to a package

5 : to associate especially as a property or an attribute : ascribe attached great importance to public opinion polls

6 : to include and send (a separate document or file) with an electronic message (such as an e-mail or text message) Unlike … some other social networking hubs, Beejive allows you to attach photos or videos to a message, or download files from messages, just as you would via e-mail.— Bob Tedeschi

intransitive verb

: to become attached : adhere

Other Words from attach Synonyms & Antonyms Choose the Right Synonym More Example Sentences Learn More about attach

Keep scrolling for more

Synonyms & Antonyms for attach

Synonyms

affix, bend, fasten, fix

Antonyms

detach, undo, unfasten, unhook

Choose the Right Synonym for attach

fasten, fix, attach, affix mean to make something stay firmly in place. fasten implies an action such as tying, buttoning, nailing, locking, or otherwise securing. fasten the reins to a post fix usually implies a driving in, implanting, or embedding. fixed the stake in the ground attach suggests a connecting or uniting by a bond, link, or tie in order to keep things together. attach the W-2 form here affix implies an imposing of one thing on another by gluing, impressing, or nailing. affix your address label here

Examples of attach in a Sentence

I've attached an application to the brochure for you. She attached a note to the package. I attached the file to the e-mail. The handle attaches here on the top.

Recent Examples on the Web

Heitner’s statement accuses Taylor of attaching herself to Brown for money. — Mahita Gajanan, Time, "Patriots Wide Receiver Antonio Brown Is Accused of Rape in a Lawsuit. Here's What to Know," 11 Sep. 2019 And most of them weren't mobile, instead simply attaching themselves to surfaces and staying there. — John Timmer, Ars Technica, "Before life exploded in the Cambrian, there were worms," 4 Sep. 2019 In a run on a test bench, the tires kept it together at 318 mph, and the engineers x-rayed each to have a proper look before attaching them to the car. — Wired, "Bugatti's Chiron Clocks 305 MPH Thanks to Top-Notch Tires," 3 Sep. 2019 Shortly after being drafted first overall by the Indianapolis Colts in 2012, Luck had attached himself to Riley Hospital for Children. — Gregg Doyel, Indianapolis Star, "Doyel: Andrew Luck's legacy in Indy is about so much more than football," 1 Sep. 2019 Instructions for sky map To use this map, cut it out and attach it to a stiff backing. — Mike Lynch, Twin Cities, "Sky Watch: September celestial splendor," 1 Sep. 2019 Scientists leave the mixture out overnight so that the wealth of water molecules floating around in the atmosphere can attach itself to the metal organic framework. — Courtney Linder, Popular Mechanics, "How This Harvester Literally Makes Water Out of Thin Air," 29 Aug. 2019 McConnell has attached himself to Trump in positioning himself for his 2020 reelection bid. — Fox News, "Sanders slams McConnell's 'cowardice' in fiery visit to top Republican's home state of Kentucky," 26 Aug. 2019 On the day of the shoot, Deryck hung the braided piece from a pole using clear thread, then attached it to Missy's head. — Aimee Simeon, refinery29.com, "One Man, 6 Hours, & 1,000 Braids: What It Took To Create Missy Elliott's Iconology Cover," 24 Aug. 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'attach.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Keep scrolling for more

Learn More about attach

Dictionary Entries near attach

Statistics for attach

Last Updated

15 Sep 2019

Look-up Popularity

Time Traveler for attach

The first known use of attach was in the 14th century

See more words from the same century

Keep scrolling for more

More Definitions for attach

attach

verb

English Language Learners Definition of attach

: to fasten or join one thing to another

: to be or become joined or connected

: to associate or connect one thing with another

See the full definition for attach in the English Language Learners Dictionary

attach

verb

at·tach | \ ə-ˈtach

attached; attaching

Kids Definition of attach

1 : to fasten or join one thing to another The boy attached a bell to his bicycle.

2 : to bind by feelings of affection … Marty's got awful attached to that dog …— Phyllis Reynolds Naylor, Shiloh

3 : to think of as belonging to something Attach no importance to his remark.

attach

verb

at·tach

Legal Definition of attach

transitive verb

1 : to obtain a court order against (property of another person) that directs an officer of the court (as a sheriff) to seize or take control of the property — compare garnish, levy

Note: A plaintiff may attach a defendant's property as a way of obtaining jurisdiction for the purpose of bringing a lawsuit or to prevent the defendant from getting rid of property that may be needed to pay a judgment to the plaintiff.

2 : to join or make a part of affidavits attached to the suit— Rosalind Resnick

3 : to create a security interest in (property) and so acquire the right to foreclose on or otherwise deal with property for payment of a debt and to exercise one's rights in the property against third parties — see also security interest at interest sense 1 — compare perfect

intransitive verb

: to become effective: as

a : to come into existence as a security interest from the date the interest attaches

b : to become operative especially as a right the right to counsel attaches only at or after the initiation of adversary judicial proceedings — United States v. Gouveia, 467 U.S. 180 (1984) — see also jeopardy