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
The project comes after Herard became the steward of L’s estate in 2020 and attained a proper accounting of what’s owned by, and owed to, the late rapper.
—
Andre Gee, Rolling Stone, 16 Oct. 2025
His rival, Hoshoryu, was the 74th man to attain the rank.
—Elmira Aliieva, NBC news, 16 Oct. 2025
Despite never attaining the presidency, he was credited with helping dismantle Kenya's one-party rule under Daniel arap Moi in 1992 and championing the progressive 2010 constitution, which ushered in far-reaching political reforms.
—NPR, 15 Oct. 2025
Margolies disclosed Shin’s departure through an email Wednesday to Bergdorf’s brand partners, a copy of which was attained by WWD.
—David Moin, Footwear News, 15 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for attain
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Andre Gee, Rolling Stone, 16 Oct. 2025
His rival, Hoshoryu, was the 74th man to attain the rank.
—Elmira Aliieva, NBC news, 16 Oct. 2025
Despite never attaining the presidency, he was credited with helping dismantle Kenya's one-party rule under Daniel arap Moi in 1992 and championing the progressive 2010 constitution, which ushered in far-reaching political reforms.
—NPR, 15 Oct. 2025
Margolies disclosed Shin’s departure through an email Wednesday to Bergdorf’s brand partners, a copy of which was attained by WWD.
—David Moin, Footwear News, 15 Oct. 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 19 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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