diff --git a/mlir/docs/LangRef.md b/mlir/docs/LangRef.md
--- a/mlir/docs/LangRef.md
+++ b/mlir/docs/LangRef.md
@@ -304,9 +304,9 @@
 The internal representation of an operation is simple: an operation is
 identified by a unique string (e.g. `dim`, `tf.Conv2d`, `x86.repmovsb`,
 `ppc.eieio`, etc), can return zero or more results, take zero or more
-operands, may have zero or more attributes, may have zero or more successors,
-and zero or more enclosed [regions](#regions). The generic printing form
-includes all these elements literally, with a function type to indicate the
+operands, has a dictionary of [attributes](#attributes), has zero or more
+successors, and zero or more enclosed [regions](#regions). The generic printing
+form includes all these elements literally, with a function type to indicate the
 types of the results and operands.
 
 Example:
@@ -321,7 +321,7 @@
 
 // Invoke a TensorFlow function called tf.scramble with two inputs
 // and an attribute "fruit".
-%2 = "tf.scramble"(%result#0, %bar) {fruit: "banana"} : (f32, i32) -> f32
+%2 = "tf.scramble"(%result#0, %bar) {fruit = "banana"} : (f32, i32) -> f32
 ```
 
 In addition to the basic syntax above, dialects may register known operations.
@@ -1308,34 +1308,37 @@
 Syntax:
 
 ```
-attribute-entry ::= dialect-attribute-entry | dependent-attribute-entry
-dialect-attribute-entry ::= dialect-namespace `.` bare-id `=` attribute-value
-dependent-attribute-entry ::= dependent-attribute-name `=` attribute-value
-dependent-attribute-name ::= ((letter|[_]) (letter|digit|[_$])*)
-                           | string-literal
+attribute-entry ::= (bare-id | string-literal) `=` attribute-value
+attribute-value ::= attribute-alias | dialect-attribute | builtin-attribute
 ```
 
 Attributes are the mechanism for specifying constant data on operations in
 places where a variable is never allowed - e.g. the comparison predicate of a
-[`cmpi` operation](Dialects/Standard.md#stdcmpi-cmpiop), or the stride of a
-convolution. They consist of a name and a concrete attribute value. The set of
-expected attributes, their structure, and their interpretation are all
-contextually dependent on what they are attached to.
-
-There are two main classes of attributes: dependent and dialect. Dependent
-attributes derive their structure and meaning from what they are attached to;
-e.g., the meaning of the `index` attribute on a `dim` operation is defined by
-the `dim` operation. Dialect attributes, on the other hand, derive their context
-and meaning from a specific dialect. An example of a dialect attribute may be a
-`swift.self` function argument attribute that indicates an argument is the
-self/context parameter. The context of this attribute is defined by the `swift`
-dialect and not the function argument.
-
-Attribute values are represented by the following forms:
-
-```
-attribute-value ::= attribute-alias | dialect-attribute | builtin-attribute
-```
+[`cmpi` operation](Dialects/Standard.md#stdcmpi-cmpiop). Each operation has an
+attribute dictionary, which associates a set of attribute names to attribute
+values. MLIR's builtin dialect provides a rich set of
+[builtin attribute values](#builtin-attribute-values) out of the box (such as
+arrays, dictionaries, strings, etc.). Additionally, dialects can define their
+own [dialect attribute values](#dialect-attribute-values).
+
+The top-level attribute dictionary attached to an operation has special
+semantics. The attribute entries are considered to be of two different kinds
+based on whether their dictionary key has a dialect prefix:
+
+- *inherent attributes* are inherent to the definition of an operation's
+  semantics. The operation itself is expected to verify the consistency of these
+  attributes. An example is the `predicate` attribute of the `std.cmpi` op.
+  These attributes must have names that do not start with a dialect prefix.
+
+- *discardable attributes* have semantics defined externally to the operation
+  itself, but must be compatible with the operations's semantics. These
+  attributes must have names that start with a dialect prefix. The dialect
+  indicated by the dialect prefix is expected to verify these attributes. An
+  example is the `gpu.container_module` attribute.
+
+Note that attribute values are allowed to themselves be dictionary attributes,
+but only the top-level dictionary attribute attached to the operation is subject
+to the classification above.
 
 ### Attribute Value Aliases
 
@@ -1404,8 +1407,8 @@
 ### Builtin Attribute Values
 
 Builtin attributes are a core set of
-[dialect attributes](#dialect-attribute-values) that are defined in a builtin
-dialect and thus available to all users of MLIR.
+[dialect attribute values](#dialect-attribute-values) that are defined in a
+builtin dialect and thus available to all users of MLIR.
 
 ```
 builtin-attribute ::=    affine-map-attribute