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
Synonyms
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
Seventy-five years after its publication on June 8, 1949, Orwell’s novel has attained a level of prominence enjoyed by few other books across academic, political and popular culture.
—
Anne Wallentine, Smithsonian Magazine, 6 June 2024
Song of the Year and Record of the Year — while the album would attain double platinum status.
—Daniel Kreps, Rolling Stone, 22 May 2024
Yet some Israeli analysts, echoing persistent urgings from Biden administration officials that date to the beginning of the war, defended the rebel ministers’ premise: When nations are at war, setting out a political endgame for the army to work within is a key step toward attaining long-term aims.
—Shoshanna Solomon, The Christian Science Monitor, 21 May 2024
Even before October 7, Iran feared a U.S.-brokered deal in which Israel would attain a base in Saudi Arabia that would be protected by an American defense pact with Riyadh.
—Vali Nasr, Foreign Affairs, 14 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for attain 
Anne Wallentine, Smithsonian Magazine, 6 June 2024
Song of the Year and Record of the Year — while the album would attain double platinum status.
—Daniel Kreps, Rolling Stone, 22 May 2024
Yet some Israeli analysts, echoing persistent urgings from Biden administration officials that date to the beginning of the war, defended the rebel ministers’ premise: When nations are at war, setting out a political endgame for the army to work within is a key step toward attaining long-term aims.
—Shoshanna Solomon, The Christian Science Monitor, 21 May 2024
Even before October 7, Iran feared a U.S.-brokered deal in which Israel would attain a base in Saudi Arabia that would be protected by an American defense pact with Riyadh.
—Vali Nasr, Foreign Affairs, 14 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for attain
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'attain.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Attain.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/attain. Accessed 17 Jun. 2024.
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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