attain

verb

at·tain | \ ə-ˈtān

attained; attaining; attains

Definition of attain

1 : to reach as an end : gain, achieve attain a goal

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

intransitive verb

: to come or arrive by motion, growth, or effort —usually used with to will probably attain to a height of six feet

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Other Words from attain

attainability \ -ˌtā-nə-ˈbi-lə-tē

\ noun

attainable \ -ˈtā-nə-bəl

\ adjective

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

More than a fashion moment, Beyoncé’s post provided a glowing endorsement for a candidate viewed as an arbiter of change and a reminder of those who fought to attain the right to engage in politics. — Janelle Okwodu, Vogue, "Beyoncé Gives a High Fashion Shout-Out to Beto O’Rourke," 6 Nov. 2018 When the planet crosses the meridian and attains its highest point in the sky, at around 1 a.m. local daylight time, Mars' altitude above the southern horizon will be only 23 degrees as viewed from Chicago and 30 degrees from Los Angeles. — Joe Rao, Space.com, "Mars Makes Its Closest Approach in 15 Years This Summer: How to See It," 29 May 2018 To Deneen, modern liberalism defines freedom as the absence of restraint, and takes attaining such a state as its primary purpose. — Fred Bauer, National Review, "Saving Liberty from Liberalism," 17 Jan. 2018 Meanwhile, fifth-year forward Natasha Howard took the Most Improved award after attaining career highs in points (13.2), rebounds (6.4), assists (1.0), steals (1.2) and blocks (1.9) during her first year in Seattle. — Percy Allen, The Seattle Times, "Storm star Breanna Stewart claims AP WNBA Player of the Year award," 21 Aug. 2018 In addition, Rocchi attained a grant that funded a heating and air conditioning system, windows, electrical wiring and lighting throughout the school, the proclamation said. — Pioneer Press, chicagotribune.com, "What's happening in Elmwood Park: Village hall to receive new front entrance; St. Celestine principal honored," 14 May 2018 The American company is looking at sourcing Mahindra powertrains for use on its product range, something that will help the companies attain economies of scale and price the vehicles more competitively. — Pankaj Radhe, USA TODAY, "Yet to turn a profit, Ford won't give up on India," 8 Apr. 2018 The American company is looking at sourcing Mahindra powertrains for use on its product range, something that will help the companies attain economies of scale and price the vehicles more competitively. — Pankaj Radhe, Detroit Free Press, "Ford really wants to succeed in India: Here's why," 6 Apr. 2018 Since NBC News first published the story Wednesday, the White House said several officials have since attained permanent clearances of varying levels. — Mike Memoli, NBC News, "White House overhauls security clearance process following revelations," 16 Feb. 2018

These 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.

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Last Updated

14 Mar 2019

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Time Traveler for attain

The first known use of attain was in the 14th century

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More Definitions for attain

attain

verb

English 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

verb

at·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