Low energy electron attachment cross sections for acetonitrile (CH3CN) are reported in the energy range from about 0 up to 10 eV determined with an energy resolution of 140 meV. Electron attachment is shown to be a purely dissociative process with the production of the five anionic fragments: CH2CN-, CHCN-, CCN-, CN- and CH3- observed in two energy regions, the first between 1 and 4 eV, the second in excess of 6 eV. Quantum chemical and trajectory calculations have been carried out to complement the experimental results. (C) 2003 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.