gain

1 of 2

noun

ˈgān 

1

: resources or advantage acquired or increased : profit

made substantial gains last year

2

: the act or process of acquiring something

3

a

: an increase in amount, magnitude, or degree

a gain in efficiency

b

: the increase (as of voltage or signal intensity) caused by an amplifier

especially : the ratio of output over input

c

: the signal-gathering ability of an antenna

gain

2 of 2

verb

gained; gaining; gains

transitive verb

1

a

: to acquire or get possession of usually by industry, merit, or craft

gain an advantage

he stood to gain a fortune

b

: to win in competition or conflict

the troops gained enemy territory

c(1)

: to arrive at : reach, attain

gained the river that night

(2)

: traverse, cover

gained 10 yards on the play

d

: to get by a natural development or process

gain strength

e

: to establish a specific relationship with

gain a friend

2

a

: to make an increase of (a specified amount)

gained three percent in the past month

b

: to increase in (a particular quality)

gain momentum

3

: to win to one's side : persuade

gain adherents to a cause

4

: to cause to be obtained or given : attract

gain attention

5

of a timepiece : to run fast by the amount of

the clock gains a minute a day

intransitive verb

1

: to get advantage : profit

hoped to gain by the deal

2

a

: increase

the day was gaining in warmth

b

: to increase in weight

c

: to improve in health or ability

3

of a timepiece : to run fast

4

: to get closer to something pursued

—usually used with on or upon

gainer noun

Phrases

gain ground

: to make progress

Synonyms

Noun

• accretion
• accrual
• addendum
• addition
• augmentation
• boost
• expansion
• increase
• increment
• more
• plus
• proliferation
• raise
• rise
• step-up
• supplement
• uptick

Verb

• build up
• gather
• grow (in)
• pick up

Examples of gain in a Sentence

Noun

The medication can cause nausea and weight gain.

attributed her recent weight gain to the medication she was taking

Verb

They stand to gain an advantage over their competitors by getting an early start.

What do you hope to gain from this?

gain control of the territory

Investigators are trying to gain access to the group's financial records.

We were unable to gain admission to the club.

We need to gain a better understanding of the problem.

They had nothing to lose and everything to gain.

He first gained attention as a young writer.

Her theories are slowly gaining acceptance.

I took the job to gain experience.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Then, pressure increased on lawmakers to pass aid to overseas allies after Iran's unprecedented attacks on Israel earlier this month, in retaliation for a strike on an Iranian consular complex in Syria, and as Russian forces continue to make offensive gains. —Alexandra Hutzler, ABC News, 23 Apr. 2024

Dissatisfied with both China and the United States, Pakistan cannot let either patron go, lest the other gain too much influence. —Feroz Hassan Khan, Foreign Affairs, 23 Apr. 2024

France, Germany, Austria, and the UK will follow suit, with annual gains between 18 and 60 outdoor days by the end of the century. —Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 22 Apr. 2024

Bitcoin has experienced a modest rise after its halving event, with the top cryptocurrency sitting stable at $66,000—a nearly 2% gain—on Monday morning. —Vinamrata Chaturvedi, Quartz, 22 Apr. 2024

This loss of confidence is often a result of changes to their bodies including weight gain, stretch marks, and changes in breast shape and size. —Tyler Shepherd, USA TODAY, 21 Apr. 2024

Those monthly gains were followed by leisure and hospitality adding 1,500 jobs, and construction employment increasing by roughly 1,300 jobs. —Natallie Rocha, San Diego Union-Tribune, 19 Apr. 2024

Luckily, even in the depths of despair Daryl Hall and John Oates’ harmonies are always on point, making their pain our gain. —Shannon Carlin, TIME, 19 Apr. 2024

Lockwood tells me that the way her previous agency handled her weight gain also felt passive-aggressive. —Essence, 19 Apr. 2024

Verb

Best Buy stock gained 0.67% on Monday, April 8, after 404 Media reported the layoffs on Friday. —Eoin Higgins, Fortune, 12 Apr. 2024

The Empire State Building (ESB) just gained a new bestie in Midtown Manhattan. —Demetrius Simms, Robb Report, 12 Apr. 2024

Shares of Marathon Petroleum have climbed 43%, Exxon Mobil shares have added 22%, Occidental Petroleum shares have gained 16% and Halliburton shares have jumped 13%. —Krystal Hur, CNN, 12 Apr. 2024

And within a decade, a national movement to restrict it gained momentum. —Melissa Chan, NBC News, 11 Apr. 2024

The Future of Work and Travel As digital nomadism continues to gain traction, the demand for platforms like 12Go that offer convenience, flexibility, and accessibility is set to rise. —William Mullane, Journal Sentinel, 11 Apr. 2024

Yorker said that Rupp-Jones’ comments about wanting more excitement in her life are indicative of Munchausen by proxy syndrome, a condition in which a caretaker — often a mother — fakes symptoms in someone else, usually a child, to gain attention. —Nicole Lopez, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 11 Apr. 2024

For something like chili crunch that refers to a centuries-old condiment, what does a company have to show to the patent office to gain a trademarked name? —Sam Stone, Bon Appétit, 10 Apr. 2024

When foreign stocks and funds began to gain popularity three or four decades ago, they were viewed as diversification enhancers. —The Arizona Republic, 31 Mar. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English gain, borrowed from Anglo-French gain, gaigne, gaaing "tillage, winning, profit," derivative of gaainer, gaaigner "to till, secure (profit, advantage)" — more at gain entry 2

Note: See note at gain entry 2.

Verb

Middle English gaynen "to prevail against," borrowed from Anglo-French gaainer, gaaigner "to cultivate, till, secure (profit, advantage), capture, acquire, be victorious," going back to Old Low Franconian *waiđanjan, of uncertain meaning and origin

Note: The presumed Old Low Franconian verb *waiđanjan has no exact counterpart in neighboring Germanic languages, and given the diverse meanings of the French verb, hypotheses that explain it are all somewhat tenuous. The base has traditionally been taken to be that of Old High German weida "pasture," Old Saxon weiđa, from which a verb meaning "to pasture" was derived, which then hypothetically developed the sense "to cultivate, till" and further derived senses. Alternatively, the verb could be linked to Old High German weidenōn "to hunt," a derivative of weida "hunt, quantity of game taken, catch" (corresponding to Old English wāth "hunt, chase, wandering," Old Norse veiðr "catch, haul of fish"). In Middle English both the noun and verb are presumed to have crossed with borrowings of Old Norse gagn "advantage, victory." Early Modern English gain has acquired senses directly from Middle French and French gagner.

First Known Use

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a

Phrases Containing gain

• capital gain
• gain/gather steam
• gain/get access to
• gain ground
• gain ground on
• gain on
• gain the lead
• gain time
• gain weight
• gather/gain momentum
• get/have/gain a/the jump on
• no gain without pain
• no pain, no gain

Kids Definition

gain

1 of 2 noun

ˈgān 

1

: resources or advantage acquired or increased : profit

financial gains

2

: an increase in amount, size, or degree

a gain in weight

gain

2 of 2 verb

1

a

: to get possession of often by effort : earn

gain an advantage

b

: to win in competition or conflict

gain a victory

c

: to get by a natural development or process

gain strength

d

: to arrive at

the swimmer gained the shore

2

: to win to one's side : persuade

3

: to increase in

gain momentum

4

: to run fast

my watch gains a minute a day

5

: to get advantage : profit

hoped to gain from the deal

6

a

: increase entry 1 sense 1

the day was gaining in warmth

b

: to increase in weight

c

: to improve in health

gainer noun

Medical Definition

gain

intransitive verb

ˈgān 

: to improve in health

the patient gained daily

Legal Definition

gain

noun

1

: an increase in value, capital, or amount compare loss

— capital gain

: a gain realized on the sale or exchange of a capital asset (as a stock or real estate)

— casualty gain

: a gain realized by an insured because property insurance benefits paid for a loss from a casualty or theft are greater than the adjusted value of the insured asset

— long-term capital gain

: a capital gain realized on the sale or exchange of an asset held for more than a specified period (as a year)

— ordinary gain

: a gain from the exchange or sale of an asset that is not capital

— short-term capital gain

: a capital gain realized on the sale or exchange of an asset held for less than a specified period (as a year) that is treated as ordinary income under federal income tax laws

2

plural, in the civil law of Louisiana : a class of community property that reflects the increase in property value contributed by the common skill or labor of the spouses

gain verb