attainment

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noun at·tain·ment \ ə-ˈtān-mənt \

Definition of attainment

1 :the act of attaining something :the condition of being attained

She values educational attainment above all else.

2 :something attained :accomplishment

His scientific attainments are well known.

See attainment defined for English-language learners

See attainment defined for kids

Examples of attainment in a Sentence

She values educational attainment above all else.
Her scientific attainments have made her quite well-known in the field of biology.

Recent Examples of attainment from the Web

As part of Kelley's annual evaluation, the parties shall meet to review Kelley's progress toward the attainment of the goals established by the board.

— steve schering, chicagotribune.com, "Oak Park School District 97 approves superintendent contract extension," 24 Aug. 2017
There is a big disparity between black and white pupils’ average attainment.

— The Economist, "Separate and unequalAn ingenious bid to force improvements in Mississippi schools," 13 July 2017
A 2017 report from the National Center for Education Statistics found that since 2000, degree attainment rates among 25- to 29-year-olds have generally been higher for females than for males at each education level.

— claire zillman, Fortune, "The World’s Most Powerful Women: July 7," 7 July 2017
Try a thought experiment: Consider immigrants in the U.S. from Algeria, Israel and Japan and rank them, from highest to lowest, by educational attainment.

— edward p. lazear, WSJ, "The Surprising Factor for Immigrant Success," 26 June 2017
Wealth and educational attainment are clustered in limited pockets throughout the state, which leads to staggering differences in outcomes that school funding alone cannot fully address.

— lara n. dotson-renta, The Atlantic, "Inside Connecticut's Education-Funding Turmoil," 25 June 2017
Based on a range of variables, including crime rates, employment growth, access to restaurants and attractions, educational attainment and housing affordability.

— jessica hice, Indianapolis Star, "Indianapolis ranks among the 50 'worst' places to live in America," 21 June 2017
The group, which is pushing to increase the number of Californians with degrees, wants the state to adopt a goal of having 60 percent statewide college attainment by 2025.

— emily deruy, The Mercury News, "California gets an F for college completion," 6 June 2017
Services also include basic needs assistance; resource development and/or attainment; community referrals; child care during group parenting sessions; and limited transportation to group sessions.

— diane smith, star-telegram.com, "When teaching parents, ‘the earlier we can start, the better’," 5 June 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'attainment.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of attainment

see attain

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1543

See Words from the same year

attainment Synonyms

Synonyms

achievement, acquirement, accomplishment, baby, coup, success, triumph

Antonyms

nonachievement

Related Words

blockbuster, hit, jackpot, megahit, miracle, smash, winner; conquest, gain, victory, win; skill; deed, feat, performance; arrival, completion, consummation, culmination, execution, fruition, fulfillment (or fulfilment), implementation, realization

Near Antonyms

botch, cock-up [British], mess, muddle, shambles; bummer, bust, catastrophe, debacle (also débâcle), disaster, dud, failure, fiasco, fizzle, flop, washout; disappointment, letdown, loss, setback

ATTAINMENT Defined for English Language Learners

attainment

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noun

Definition of attainment for English Language Learners

: the state or condition of having gotten or done something difficult : the act of attaining something
: something that has been gotten, done, or achieved through effort