attain

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

Synonyms of attain

• achieve
• win
• gain

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

Rabies in humans is completely preventable but medical help must be attained right away, according to the CDC. — Stephen Underwood, Hartford Courant, 28 Sep. 2026

However, those milestones won’t be attained in a Mets uniform. — Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 25 Sep. 2026

That puts it in a rare class of hurricanes — only the most powerful storms on Earth attain central pressures below 900 mb. — Sean MacAday, Sacbee.com, 22 Sep. 2026

Populism, distilled from the witches’ brew of 1893, only attained its full strength closer to the end of the century. — J. B. MacKinnon, Harpers Magazine, 22 Sep. 2026

Word History

Etymology

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

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