attainment

noun at·tain·ment \ ə-ˈtān-mənt \

|Updated on: 6 Jul 2018

Examples: attainment in a Sentence

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

To be recognized, a program’s graduates must show significant gains in factors important for advancing social mobility — a substantial increase in earnings, attainment of a living wage and a job closely matched with the field of study.

— laura groch, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Palomar, MiraCosta honored for 'Strong Workforce' programs," 28 June 2018
These kids — like the two earlier cohorts, overwhelmingly white from families with relatively high incomes and educational attainment — are now between 11 and 21 years old.

— melissa healy, latimes.com, "The surprising thing the 'marshmallow test' reveals about kids in an instant-gratification world," 26 June 2018
In addition to the genetic links between educational attainment and Alzheimer’s risk, the results link neuroticism to anorexia nervosa, anxiety disorders, MDD and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD).

— emily willingham, Scientific American, "Analysis of a Million-Plus Genomes Points to Blurring Lines Among Brain Disorders," 22 June 2018
Now, a progressive group, evaluated cities across 26 variables in five broad areas: income/wealth, business ownership/employment, housing, access to health insurance and educational attainment.

— russ wiles, azcentral, "Mesa tops Phoenix, Tucson in study of prosperity among large cities," 13 June 2018
Almost half of Detroit’s working-age residents aren’t even looking for a job — at 53.4 percent, it'sthe lowest workforce participation rate in the nation and a symptom of poverty and poor educational attainment.

— john gallagher, Detroit Free Press, "These Detroiters aren't looking for jobs. Why might surprise you," 8 June 2018
Before her current position, Sandeen was vice president of education attainment and innovation at the American Council on Education.

— karen herzog, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "UW Colleges Chancellor Cathy Sandeen leaving for new job in Alaska," 31 May 2018
Hogsett last year convened an education task force to make recommendations for increasing educational attainment in Marion County.

— james briggs, Indianapolis Star, "Indianapolis is uneducated. Mayor Joe Hogsett is about to release his plan to change that.," 29 May 2018
The same reasoning suggests that the return should have dwindled as educational attainment rose.

— The Economist, "Even though more people are doing it, studying is still worthwhile," 3 May 2018

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

in the meaning defined at sense 2

See Words from the same year

attainment Synonyms

Phrases

a feather in one's cap;

ATTAINMENT Defined for English Language Learners

attainment

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