What does "attachment" mean?
The act or process of (physically or figuratively) attaching.
Attachment
/əˈtæt͡ʃmənt/ noun
noun ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: The act or process of (physically or figuratively) attaching.
- Grammar: attachment is listed as noun.
- Nearest alternatives: bond, accession, accessory, accessory.
- Useful contrasts: cool detachment, mechanical detachment, separate identity.
- Usage evidence: Would you please send me details of your products via e-mail as an attachment?
How to use "attachment"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "attachment" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "attachment" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "attachment" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "attachment" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "attachment" is acting as noun in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "bond" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "attachment", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 The act or process of (physically or figuratively) attaching. countable, uncountable
"The “implantation window” is a short, specific phase during which attachment of the blastocyst occurs."
- 2 the act of fastening things together wordnet
- 3 A strong bonding with or fondness for someone or something. countable, uncountable
"I have such an attachment towards my fiancé!"
- 4 the act of attaching or affixing something wordnet
- 5 A dependence, especially a strong one. countable, uncountable
"Through every other kind of drug experience, however, ran his attachment to alcohol."
Show 10 more definitions
- 6 faithful support for a cause or political party or religion wordnet
- 7 A device attached to a piece of equipment or a tool. countable, uncountable
"Zimchenko's phone had a tape attachment, […]"
- 8 a supplementary part or accessory wordnet
- 9 The means by which something is physically attached. countable, uncountable
"[The umbilical cord is] the attachment connecting the fetus with the placenta."
- 10 a connection that fastens things together wordnet
- 11 A file sent along with a message, usually an email. countable, uncountable
- 12 a writ authorizing the seizure of property that may be needed for the payment of a judgment in a judicial proceeding wordnet
- 13 Taking a person's property to satisfy a court-ordered debt. countable, uncountable
"attachment of earnings"
- 14 a feeling of affection for a person or an institution wordnet
- 15 The act or process by which any (downward) leader connects to any available (upward) streamer in a lightning flash. countable, uncountable
"2009, Jakke Mäkelä, Eero Karvinen, Niko Porjo, Antti Mäkelä and Tapio Tuomi, Attachment of Natural Lightning Flashes to Trees: Preliminary Statistical Characteristics, published in the Journal of Lightning Research, volume 1"
Synonyms
All synonymsAntonyms
cool detachmentmechanical detachmentseparate identityunconnected patches
Example
"Would you please send me details of your products via e-mail as an attachment?"
Common questions
What is a synonym for "attachment"?
Common synonyms include: bond, accession, accessory, accessory, accompaniment, accounting for.
How do you use "attachment" in a sentence?
Would you please send me details of your products via e-mail as an attachment?
How do you pronounce "attachment"?
Pronounced /əˈtæt͡ʃmənt/.
Etymology
From French attachement. By surface analysis, attach + -ment.