attain

1 of 2

verb

at·​tain ə-ˈtān 

attained; attaining; attains

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

attainability

ə-ˌtā-nə-ˈbi-lə-tē 

noun

attainable

ə-ˈtā-nə-bəl 

adjective

attainability

2 of 2

noun

at·​tain·​abil·​i·​ty ə-ˌtā-nə-ˈbi-lə-tē 

plural -es

: the quality or state of being attainable

Synonyms of attain

Verb

• achieve
• win
• gain

Examples of attain in a Sentence

Verb

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

Verb

But the White House cut its offices and weakened its ability to follow up with cases, as well as slashed funding to research on disparities that people of color face in getting diagnosed and attaining resources for disabilities. — Claire Sibonney, CBS News, 24 Aug. 2026

But if that seems impossible to attain, then maybe embracing that (non-egalitarian) vision – and trying to get to the top yourself – is better. — John Blake, CNN Money, 22 Aug. 2026

Your employees also should be able to identify where and how output originated, detail the data security measures in place and express confidence in the level of accuracy attained. — Suzanne Konstance, Forbes.com, 21 Aug. 2026

During its orbit, S301 attains speeds more than 100,000 times faster than a commercial airliner—over eight percent the speed of light. — Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 19 Aug. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Verb

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 tangent entry 2

First Known Use

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Rhymes for attain

• abstain
• airplane
• alkane
• arcane
• arraign
• backplane
• betaine
• biplane
• blockchain
• butane
• campaign
• cetane

Kids 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

attainability

ə-ˌtā-nə-ˈbil-ət-ē 

noun

attainable

-ˈtā-nə-bəl 

adjective