attain

play

verb at·tain \ ə-ˈtān \

Definition of attain

transitive verb

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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attainability

play \-ˌtā-nə-ˈbi-lə-tē\ noun

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attainable

play \-ˈtā-nə-bəl\ adjective

See attain defined for English-language learners

See attain defined for kids

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 of attain from the Web

Under ideal conditions, striped bass can attain extraordinary sizes.

— frank sargeant, AL.com, "Time to gear up for Alabama hunting seasons," 27 Aug. 2017
On the other hand, a craft that flies low under surface radars, can attain speeds of 250-350 miles an hour, and can quickly disgorge troops on a beachhead might be very useful to the Russian military and other armed forces around the world.

— kyle mizokami, Popular Mechanics, "Russia Is Making a New Flying "Sea Monster" to Skim the Surface of Water," 24 Aug. 2017
Southeast School, Northwest School and Southwest School have earned Platinum Recognition status for the 2017-18 school year, while Central Middle School and Northeast School have attained Gold status.

— Daily Southtown, "Community news," 23 Aug. 2017
At the Environmental Protection Agency, industry groups have attained significant influence as Scott Pruitt, the E.P.A.’s administrator, has rolled back regulations.

— david gelles, New York Times, "Business Groups Court White House Even After C.E.O. Defections," 22 Aug. 2017
Wash your meal down with a light, dry wine from one of the many surrounding vineyards—the Schilcher, an aromaticrosé, and Welschriesling, a versatile white, have attained cult status.

— Smithsonian, "10 Unexpectedly Scenic Places in Austria," 14 Aug. 2017
Like his brother, Alexander and grandfather George before him, Eric has attained the highest rank in scouting — Eagle Scout.

— Howard County Times, "Eagles Scout project benefits Howard County Conservancy [Highland/Fulton]," 13 July 2017
Breaking out of the economic cycle of poverty has been one of my main motivations for wanting to attend college, along with attaining the knowledge to become a political reporter.

— ronnie estoque, The Seattle Times, "Student Voices: I’m one of the first in my family to attend college. Here’s how I got there.," 5 July 2017
The closure may help biologists attain their escapement goal of 13,000-28,000 Deshka kings reaching their upriver spawning beds.

— mike campbell, Alaska Dispatch News, "Kiss Deshka king salmon season goodbye," 4 July 2017

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.

Origin and Etymology of attain

Middle English atteynen, from Anglo-French ateign-, stem of ateindre to reach, accomplish, convict, from Vulgar Latin *attangere, alteration of Latin attingere, from ad- + tangere to touch — more at ²tangent

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First Known Use: 14th century

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attain Synonyms

Synonyms

achieve, bag, chalk up, clock (up) [chiefly British], gain, hit, log, make, notch (up), rack up, ring up, score, win

Antonyms

forfeit, lose

Related Words

acquire, capture, carry, draw, garner, get, land, make, obtain, procure, realize, secure; amount (to), approach, equal, match, measure up (to), meet, rival, tie, touch; beat, excel, outdo, surpass, top

Near Antonyms

fall short (of), miss; fail (at); lose

ATTAIN Defined for English Language Learners

attain

play

verb

Definition of attain for English Language Learners

: to accomplish or achieve (something) : to succeed in getting or doing (something)
: to grow or increase to (a particular amount, size, etc.)

ATTAIN Defined for Kids

attain

play

verb at·tain \ ə-ˈtān \

Definition of attain for Students

attained; attaining

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

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attainable

\ə-ˈtā-nə-bəl\ adjective

Are your goals attainable?

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ATTAIN Defined for English Language Learners

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