attained; attaining; attains
2
: to come into possession of : obtain
he attained preferment over his fellows
3
: to come to as the end of a progression or course of movement
They attained the top of the hill.
attain a ripe old age
: to come or arrive by motion, growth, or effort
—usually used with to
will probably attain to a height of six feet
Examples of attain in a Sentence
a quest to attain enlightenment
She refused to let the injury keep her from attaining her goal of being in the Olympics.
This kind of tree can attain a height of 20 feet within just a few years.
The car can attain a top speed of 200 mph.
Recent Examples on the Web
Joe Moorhead’s Zips went into the final four games of the 2025 season with a 2-6 mark and needing to win out in order to attain bowl eligibly for the first time since 2017.
—
Tom Layberger,
Forbes.com,
6 July 2026
The sun attained solar maximum in 2024, releasing intense flares and coronal mass ejections that caused Earth’s atmosphere to expand, which only intensified the drag on Swift, according to NASA.
—
Ashley Strickland,
CNN Money,
3 July 2026
These seemingly innocuous incidents attain new significance as they’re revisited alongside a slow crescendo that suddenly turns to shuddering piano chords on the track’s bridge.
—
Nick Ayres Demasi,
Pitchfork,
1 July 2026
Well before Diana attained princess status, Althorp was a favorite retreat of royals and a variety of politicians from around the world.
—
Bailey Bujnosek,
InStyle,
1 July 2026
See All Example Sentences for attain
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Tom Layberger,
Forbes.com,
6 July 2026
The sun attained solar maximum in 2024, releasing intense flares and coronal mass ejections that caused Earth’s atmosphere to expand, which only intensified the drag on Swift, according to NASA.
—
Ashley Strickland,
CNN Money,
3 July 2026
These seemingly innocuous incidents attain new significance as they’re revisited alongside a slow crescendo that suddenly turns to shuddering piano chords on the track’s bridge.
—
Nick Ayres Demasi,
Pitchfork,
1 July 2026
Well before Diana attained princess status, Althorp was a favorite retreat of royals and a variety of politicians from around the world.
—
Bailey Bujnosek,
InStyle,
1 July 2026
See All Example Sentences for attain
Cite this Entry
“Attain.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/attain. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
attain
verb
at·tain
ə-ˈtān 
1
: to reach as a goal : accomplish, achieve
2
: to come to possess : obtain
3
: to arrive at : reach
attain the top of the mountain
—often used with to
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