'Attached Herewith': Meaning and When to Say It

Did you receive an email that used the phrase ‘attached herewith’? What does this phrase mean, and when is it appropriate to use?

• ‘Attached herewith’ is a formal way to communicate that something is included within the note, document, letter, email, or another form of communication.
• If you are attaching a file to an email, you can use this phrase to inform the recipient about the attachment.

What Does 'Attached Herewith' Mean?

‘Attached herewith’ is a formal phrase that can be used to express that a file or other attachment is enclosed in an email message.

The word ‘attached’ is defined as:

• Connected or joined to something

The definition of ‘herewith’ is:

• Enclosed in this; with this communication, included with this note, document, letter, etc

‘Attached herewith,’ therefore, means “joined with this communication.” This is a useful phrase to know if you find yourself needing to send a more formal email with an attachment. That being said, it might appear a bit stiffer in casual conversations, in which other more informal phrases might be more appropriate.

For example, let’s say that you went to a job interview today, and the hiring manager asked you to send over your professional references. In your email, you might use the phrase, “attached herewith are my references.”

When Should You Say ‘Attached Herewith’?

‘Attached herewith’ is really best used in formal and professional emails when you are attaching a file of some sort. This phrase could also be used in non-email situations, such as if you are physically attaching something to another document. For example, if you need to attach a copy of your license to a loan application, you could say in a cover letter, “attached herewith is a copy of my ID.”

If you are writing a more casual email, ‘attached herewith’ will likely come off as a bit too stiff and old-fashioned. Even in professional contexts, this is a very formal way to explain that you have attached a file to an email or a document of some kind to the letter.

Learning how to write emails can be a bit nerve-wracking at first, but once you get the hang of it, you don’t need to feel the least bit intimidated. If you’re working on improving your email writing skills, check out our guides about how to start an email, how to end an email, and how to write a formal email.

Other Ways to Say 'Attached Herewith'

What are some other words and phrases that have a similar meaning to 'attached herewith’'?

• Since ‘attached herewith’ is such a formal way of expressing that you have attached something to an email, letter, or other communication, it can be useful to learn slightly less stiff ways to convey the same message.

Here are some alternative options:

• Please find attached
• I’ve attached [the file]
• Here is [the file]
• Relevant information is in the attached file
• The requested document is attached to this email
• You’ll find the attachment below
• I’m sharing [the file] with you
• Please see the enclosed [file]
• I’ve linked [the file]
• Take a look at the attached [file]

Final Thoughts About ‘Attached Herewith’

‘Attached herewith’ is an acceptable and polite way to tell someone you have attached a document to an email or enclosed something with a letter, form, or another type of communication.

However, it’s worth understanding that this is a highly formal way to tell someone about the attached information. This means that you might want to consider whether a more casual phrase would be more appropriate given the context of the interaction. Even if you are writing to someone in a professional capacity, you might find that phrases like ‘the requested document is attached’ or ‘relevant information is in the attached file’ are less stiff and old-fashioned.

Are you on a roll learning new English phrases? If so, head over to our idioms blog for lots of fascinating articles about common expressions!