gain

1 of 2

noun

ˈgān 

1

: resources or advantage acquired or increased : profit

made substantial gains last year

2

: the act or process of acquiring something

3

a

: an increase in amount, magnitude, or degree

a gain in efficiency

b

: the increase (as of voltage or signal intensity) caused by an amplifier

especially : the ratio of output over input

c

: the signal-gathering ability of an antenna

gain

2 of 2

verb

gained; gaining; gains

transitive verb

1

a

: to acquire or get possession of usually by industry, merit, or craft

gain an advantage

he stood to gain a fortune

b

: to win in competition or conflict

the troops gained enemy territory

c(1)

: to arrive at : reach, attain

gained the river that night

(2)

: traverse, cover

gained 10 yards on the play

d

: to get by a natural development or process

gain strength

e

: to establish a specific relationship with

gain a friend

2

a

: to make an increase of (a specified amount)

gained three percent in the past month

b

: to increase in (a particular quality)

gain momentum

3

: to win to one's side : persuade

gain adherents to a cause

4

: to cause to be obtained or given : attract

gain attention

5

of a timepiece : to run fast by the amount of

the clock gains a minute a day

intransitive verb

1

: to get advantage : profit

hoped to gain by the deal

2

a

: increase

the day was gaining in warmth

b

: to increase in weight

c

: to improve in health or ability

3

of a timepiece : to run fast

4

: to get closer to something pursued

—usually used with on or upon

gainer noun

Phrases

gain ground

: to make progress

Synonyms

Noun

• accretion
• accrual
• addendum
• addition
• augmentation
• boost
• expansion
• increase
• increment
• more
• plus
• proliferation
• raise
• rise
• step-up
• supplement
• uptick

Verb

• build up
• gather
• grow (in)
• pick up

Examples of gain in a Sentence

Noun

The medication can cause nausea and weight gain.

attributed her recent weight gain to the medication she was taking

Verb

They stand to gain an advantage over their competitors by getting an early start.

What do you hope to gain from this?

gain control of the territory

Investigators are trying to gain access to the group's financial records.

We were unable to gain admission to the club.

We need to gain a better understanding of the problem.

They had nothing to lose and everything to gain.

He first gained attention as a young writer.

Her theories are slowly gaining acceptance.

I took the job to gain experience.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Chicago saw the seventh-biggest population gain of any city in the country last year — growth largely attributed to the city’s influx of migrants. —Claire Malon, Chicago Tribune, 17 May 2025

Years of war propaganda and steady, if slow, battlefield gains, have convinced many Russians that their country is fighting an existential conflict against the West, which will not end until Ukrainian capitulation. —Anatoly Kurmanaev, New York Times, 17 May 2025

Verb

Another summit priority is economic cooperation, where Britain may have benefits to gain. —Jeanna Smialek, New York Times, 18 May 2025

Alaska’s history as a literal and figurative bridge between not only the Americas and Asia but also between Europe and Asia will gain prominence with climate change. —Saleem H. Ali, Forbes.com, 18 May 2025

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English gain, borrowed from Anglo-French gain, gaigne, gaaing "tillage, winning, profit," derivative of gaainer, gaaigner "to till, secure (profit, advantage)" — more at gain entry 2

Note: See note at gain entry 2.

Verb

Middle English gaynen "to prevail against," borrowed from Anglo-French gaainer, gaaigner "to cultivate, till, secure (profit, advantage), capture, acquire, be victorious," going back to Old Low Franconian *waiđanjan, of uncertain meaning and origin

Note: The presumed Old Low Franconian verb *waiđanjan has no exact counterpart in neighboring Germanic languages, and given the diverse meanings of the French verb, hypotheses that explain it are all somewhat tenuous. The base has traditionally been taken to be that of Old High German weida "pasture," Old Saxon weiđa, from which a verb meaning "to pasture" was derived, which then hypothetically developed the sense "to cultivate, till" and further derived senses. Alternatively, the verb could be linked to Old High German weidenōn "to hunt," a derivative of weida "hunt, quantity of game taken, catch" (corresponding to Old English wāth "hunt, chase, wandering," Old Norse veiðr "catch, haul of fish"). In Middle English both the noun and verb are presumed to have crossed with borrowings of Old Norse gagn "advantage, victory." Early Modern English gain has acquired senses directly from Middle French and French gagner.

First Known Use

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a

Phrases Containing gain

• capital gain
• gain/gather steam
• gain/get access to
• gain ground
• gain ground on
• gain on
• gain the lead
• gain time
• gain weight
• gather/gain momentum
• get/have/gain a/the jump on
• no gain without pain
• no pain, no gain

Rhymes for gain

• ane
• bane
• blain
• brain
• cane
• chaine
• cheyne
• deign
• drain
• fain
• fane
• feign

Kids Definition

gain

1 of 2 noun

ˈgān 

1

: resources or advantage acquired or increased : profit

financial gains

2

: an increase in amount, size, or degree

a gain in weight

gain

2 of 2 verb

1

a

: to get possession of often by effort : earn

gain an advantage

b

: to win in competition or conflict

gain a victory

c

: to get by a natural development or process

gain strength

d

: to arrive at

the swimmer gained the shore

2

: to win to one's side : persuade

3

: to increase in

gain momentum

4

: to run fast

my watch gains a minute a day

5

: to get advantage : profit

hoped to gain from the deal

6

a

: increase entry 1 sense 1

the day was gaining in warmth

b

: to increase in weight

c

: to improve in health

gainer noun

Medical Definition

gain

intransitive verb

ˈgān 

: to improve in health

the patient gained daily

Legal Definition

gain

noun

1

: an increase in value, capital, or amount compare loss

— capital gain

: a gain realized on the sale or exchange of a capital asset (as a stock or real estate)

— casualty gain

: a gain realized by an insured because property insurance benefits paid for a loss from a casualty or theft are greater than the adjusted value of the insured asset

— long-term capital gain

: a capital gain realized on the sale or exchange of an asset held for more than a specified period (as a year)

— ordinary gain

: a gain from the exchange or sale of an asset that is not capital

— short-term capital gain

: a capital gain realized on the sale or exchange of an asset held for less than a specified period (as a year) that is treated as ordinary income under federal income tax laws

2

plural, in the civil law of Louisiana : a class of community property that reflects the increase in property value contributed by the common skill or labor of the spouses

gain verb