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
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
Try Oribe’s Styling Butter Curl Enhancing Crème, made with olive and avocado oils to attain deeply penetrating hydration.
—
Talia Gutierrez, Glamour, 30 Sep. 2025
Baz’s intelligence also stretches to the sense that Knight will go back to Bond’s beginnings as a Royal Navy Commander before he was recruited by MI6, the UK’s foreign intelligence agency, and chart how Bond attained 007 status.
—Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 26 Sep. 2025
Cassidy, a full-time teacher, was just six months away from attaining her degree in education, while Connor had recently been promoted in her role as a personal assistant.
—Sam Gillette, PEOPLE, 26 Sep. 2025
Professional dancers can be laser focused on attaining physical perfection.
—Marcia Luttrell, San Diego Union-Tribune, 21 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for attain
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Talia Gutierrez, Glamour, 30 Sep. 2025
Baz’s intelligence also stretches to the sense that Knight will go back to Bond’s beginnings as a Royal Navy Commander before he was recruited by MI6, the UK’s foreign intelligence agency, and chart how Bond attained 007 status.
—Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 26 Sep. 2025
Cassidy, a full-time teacher, was just six months away from attaining her degree in education, while Connor had recently been promoted in her role as a personal assistant.
—Sam Gillette, PEOPLE, 26 Sep. 2025
Professional dancers can be laser focused on attaining physical perfection.
—Marcia Luttrell, San Diego Union-Tribune, 21 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for attain
Cite this Entry
“Attain.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/attain. Accessed 10 Oct. 2025.
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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