To fasten, join, or connect one thing to another; OR to include something extra with a document, email, or message; OR to feel emotionally connected to someone or something; OR to assign or attribute importance, blame, or meaning
She had spent hours preparing her job application, checking every detail twice. Before clicking send, she remembered to attach her CV and cover letter to the email, watching the small icons appear below her message to confirm the files were included, then finally releasing a nervous breath as she hit the send button.
This is the most basic and frequent meaning. When you attach something, you connect it firmly to something else so they stay together. You might attach a photo to a wall with tape, or attach a leash to a dog’s collar before going for a walk. The connection can be permanent or temporary, but the idea is always about joining two things so one doesn’t separate from the other.
Vivid example: He carefully attached the mirror to the bathroom wall using strong hooks, stepping back several times to check if it was straight before tightening the final screw and admiring his work.
In everyday digital life, attach means adding a file to an email, message, or online form. When someone says “I’ll attach the report,” they mean they’ll include it as a separate file that travels with the message. This usage is so common that the word “attachment” has become standard vocabulary for any file sent along with electronic communication.
Vivid example: She wrote a quick reply and attached the photographs her colleague had requested, double-checking that all five images appeared as small icons at the bottom before pressing send.
People often become attached to others, to pets, to places, or even to objects. This emotional meaning describes a bond that makes separation difficult or painful. You’ll frequently hear the warning “don’t get attached” — people say this when they know something or someone won’t stay forever, like a temporary pet, a short-term colleague, or a situation that will soon change. Despite the warning, people often get attached anyway, because emotions don’t follow logic.
Vivid example: When her roommate brought home a foster kitten, she warned herself not to get attached since it would be adopted soon, but within days she was buying it toys and secretly hoping no one would come to take it away.
In more formal English, you can attach importance, meaning, blame, or conditions to something. This abstract usage means connecting an idea or value to a situation. When a teacher attaches great importance to homework, it means homework matters a lot in that class. When a contract comes with “strings attached,” it means there are conditions or obligations connected to the agreement.
Vivid example: The manager attached great importance to punctuality, beginning every meeting exactly on time and noting quietly in her records whenever someone arrived late, even by just a few minutes.
In professional, military, or governmental contexts, being attached to a unit or organization means being officially assigned to work with them, often temporarily. A diplomat might be attached to an embassy, or a soldier might be attached to a special unit for a specific mission, working alongside the team without being a permanent member.
Vivid example: The young officer was attached to the intelligence unit for six months, learning their methods and contributing her language skills before returning to her original position with new expertise.
📖✏️ Usage Note: The phrase “no strings attached” is a very common idiom meaning something is offered freely, without conditions or hidden obligations. Also, the adjective form “attached” often appears with the preposition “to” — for example: “attached to the wall,” “attached to his family,” or “attached to an email.”
Examples from the street:
“I’ve attached the document to the email.” → I’ve included the file with the message so you can open it
“She’s really attached to that old car — she won’t sell it.” → She has strong emotional feelings about the vehicle and can’t let it go
“Don’t get attached — we’re only fostering the dog for a few weeks.” → Don’t develop emotional feelings for it because it’s not staying permanently
Attach as fasten/join physically:
– attach something to something → fasten one thing onto another
– attach A and B (together) → join two things
– be attached to something → be physically connected to something
– firmly/securely attached → fastened tightly
Attach as include/add (digital/documents) — VERY COMMON:
– attach a file/document/photo → include a file with an email or message
– please find attached → formal phrase meaning “I’ve included this file”
– the attached (document/file/report) → the file that has been included
– see attached → please look at the included file
Attach as emotional connection — VERY COMMON:
– be/become/get attached to someone/something → develop emotional feelings for
– grow attached to → gradually develop fondness for
– don’t get attached → warning not to develop feelings for something temporary
– too attached to → emotionally dependent in an unhealthy way
Attach as assign/attribute (abstract):
– attach importance/significance/value to → consider something important
– attach blame/responsibility to → assign fault to someone
– attach conditions/strings to → add requirements or obligations
– no stigma attached to → no shame associated with
Example Sentences
1. Make sure you attach the safety rope to your harness before climbing → Ensure you fasten the protective cord onto your body equipment prior to ascending.
2. The mirror is securely attached to the wall with heavy-duty brackets → The reflective glass is firmly fastened onto the vertical surface using industrial-strength supports.
3. I’ve attached the invoice to this email for your records → I’ve included the bill with this message so you can keep it on file.
4. Please find attached the signed contract as requested → I’ve included the completed agreement with my signature as you asked.
5. The children have become very attached to their foster parents → The young ones have developed deep emotional bonds with the adults caring for them temporarily.
6. I’ve grown attached to this neighbourhood — I don’t want to move → I’ve developed strong feelings for this area over time — I’d prefer to stay here.
7. Don’t get attached to that apartment — we haven’t signed the lease yet and someone else might take it → Don’t let yourself develop feelings for that flat — the paperwork isn’t complete and another person could rent it first.
8. I told myself not to get attached, but after three months of dating, it was too late → I warned myself not to develop romantic feelings, but after a quarter of a year seeing each other, I already had.
9. The company attaches great importance to employee wellbeing → The organisation considers staff health and happiness a high priority.
10. There’s no blame attached to reporting a mistake — we all make them → Nobody will be held at fault for admitting an error — everyone slips up sometimes.
11. The grant comes with conditions attached — you must complete the project within two years → The funding has requirements — you’re obligated to finish the work within twenty-four months.
12. He attached himself to a group of tourists and followed them around the museum → He joined a bunch of visitors without being invited and trailed them throughout the gallery.
Learner Examples
1. Students often become attached to their favourite teachers, which makes saying goodbye at the end of the year quite emotional → Learners frequently develop strong bonds with the instructors they like best, making farewells at term’s end rather tearful.
2. I attach great importance to creating a supportive classroom environment where students feel safe to make mistakes while learning English → I consider it a high priority to establish a nurturing teaching space where learners feel comfortable slipping up as they develop their language skills.
✔ Native usage tips
– “Attached” vs “enclosed” — use “attached” for digital files in emails; use “enclosed” for physical items in letters or packages. “Please find enclosed” sounds old-fashioned in emails
– “Please find attached” vs “I’ve attached” — “Please find attached” is formal business English; “I’ve attached” is more natural in everyday emails. Both are correct, but younger professionals tend to prefer the simpler version
– “Attached” as adjective — “the attached document” (correct) vs “the document attached” (less natural). In emails, put “attached” before the noun
– “Attached to” for emotions — always use “to,” never “with.” “I’m attached to my phone” ✓ “I’m attached with my phone” ✗
– “Don’t get attached” — extremely common phrase in TV dramas, films, and real life. Used when someone is about to form a bond with something or someone temporary (pets, relationships, jobs, places). Often said as a warning
– “No strings attached” — extremely common idiom in advertising, dating, and business. Often shortened to “NSA” in informal contexts (especially dating apps)
– British property usage — “attached house” means a house connected to another (semi-detached or terraced); Americans say “attached” less often for this
✔ Similar expressions / words
– Fasten → more specific to securing or closing something; used for seatbelts, buttons, locks; less versatile than “attach”
– Connect → broader meaning; works for physical, digital, and abstract links; less emotional than “attached to” when describing relationships
– Fix → in British English, can mean attach permanently (“fix the shelf to the wall”); in American English, primarily means repair