To save this word, you'll need to log in.
at·tain | \ ə-ˈtān 
\
\attained; attaining; attains
Definition of attain
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 towill probably attain to a height of six feet
Keep scrolling for more
Other Words from attain
attainability \ ə-ˌtā-nə-ˈbi-lə-tē \ noun
\ nounattainable \ ə-ˈtā-nə-bəl \ adjective
\ adjectiveSynonyms for attain
Synonyms
- achieve,
- bag,
- chalk up,
- clock (up)
- [chiefly British],
- gain,
- hit,
- log,
- make,
- notch (up),
- rack up,
- ring up,
- score,
- win
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.
See More
Recent Examples on the Web When, how and by whose pens and voices over the course of the 19th century did the United States attain its dominant story?
—
Washington Post, "‘Union’ tells the origin story of the United States through 19th-century voices," 26 June 2020 Offseason hip surgery following his sophomore season eliminated his ability to attain new skills and get stronger, as he was primarily focused on rehab.
—
John Owning, Dallas News, "Film room: 3 Cowboys rookies who will outperform their draft slot, including the potential steal of the entire 2020 class," 24 June 2020 Her work explores the formation of political attitudes and how marginalized populations use the political system to attain economic needs.
—
Fanta Traore, Fortune, "19 Black economists to celebrate and know, this Juneteenth and beyond," 19 June 2020 Writing in the chaos surrounding the fall of the Roman Empire, the prominent fifth-century theologian St. Augustine asserted that peace was the greatest good humans can attain on Earth.
—
Anna L. Peterson, The Conversation, "No justice, no peace: Why Catholic priests are kneeling with George Floyd protesters," 15 June 2020 West Point graduates receive officers' commissions and often attain the highest ranks in the Army.
—
Michael Collins, USA TODAY, "Trump heads to West Point amid tension with top military brass and a nation whipsawed by racial tension," 13 June 2020 This pay gap persists even as more women in Milwaukee County attain a bachelor's degree than men.
—
Sarah Hauer, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Gender pay gap in Milwaukee persists, and the coronavirus crisis could make it worse," 11 June 2020 But only birds that spend most of their time feeding and ingesting the right diet—one containing plenty of carotenoids, pigments that produce reds and oranges— will attain the most attractive hue.
—
Virginia Morell, National Geographic, "Pinker flamingos are more aggressive, intriguing study finds," 9 June 2020 Michelle Noble said that as black women especially, careers in the police force and in the horse world seemed not only difficult to attain, but possibly dangerous for her children.
—
Tony Bravo, SFChronicle.com, "The woman who rode her horse through an Oakland protest wants to see more people of color in a white world," 5 June 2020
See MoreThese example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'attain.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Keep scrolling for more
Keep scrolling for more
More Definitions for attain
attain
verbEnglish Language Learners Definition of attain
somewhat formal
: to accomplish or achieve (something) : to succeed in getting or doing (something)
: to grow or increase to (a particular amount, size, etc.)
See the full definition for attain in the English Language Learners Dictionary
attain
verbat·tain | \ ə-ˈtān \
\attained; attaining
Kids Definition of attain
1 : to accomplish or achieve
attain a goal
2 : to come into possession of : obtain attain knowledge
3 : to reach or come to gradually : arrive at
… surely no bug in all the Land of Oz had ever before attained so enormous a size.— L. Frank Baum, The Marvelous Land of Oz
Keep scrolling for more
Comments on attain
What made you want to look up attain? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).
Test Your Vocabulary
A More Exception(al) Quiz
- Which of the following words is not a synonym for ‘a young person’?
Can you spell these 10 commonly misspelled words?
TAKE THE QUIZ
Test Your Knowledge - and learn some interesting things along the way.
TAKE THE QUIZLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridgedWords at Play
Ask the Editors
Share attain
Time Traveler for attain
The first known use of attain was in the 14th century
See more words from the same century