attainment
Americannoun
-
an act of attaining.
-
something attained; a personal acquirement; achievement.
- Synonyms:
- accomplishment
noun
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of attainment
First recorded in 1350–1400, attainment is from the Middle English word attenement. See attain, -ment
Explanation
The effort put into something and the pay-off when the work is over is called attainment. Attainment of your goal of learning to make the perfect omelet requires breaking a lot of eggs. An attainment isn't just handed to you — you have to earn it through skill and hard work. In fact, in slang, attainment is used interchangeably with skill. You might say that the inventiveness and originality of a particular rapper is his attainment, just as his fame, fortune, and respect in the hip-hop community is also his attainment.
Vocabulary lists containing attainment
10 Words for Victory
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Byrd and Igloo: A Polar Adventure
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Each year's budget paper has indeed pledged an extra £200m to the Attainment Scotland Fund, which is distributed to councils and individual schools based on their needs.
From BBC • Mar. 25, 2026
“I have not heard of other states considering repeal,” said Bill DeBaun, senior director of data and strategic initiatives with the National College Attainment Network, a nonprofit organization working to expand college access.
From New York Times • Apr. 26, 2024
As of late January, about 700,000 seniors nationwide had filed applications, down from about 1.5 million applicants the same time last year, according to National College Attainment Network, which analyzed data from the U.S.
From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 13, 2024
This year, roughly 52% of the country’s high school class of 2022 has completed a FAFSA, or the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, according to the National College Attainment Network.
From Seattle Times • Jul. 29, 2022
In his book, "My Attainment of the Pole," Dr. Cook offers with thrilling vividness a most remarkable series of adventures in the enraptured wilderness at the top of the globe.
From My Attainment of the Pole by Cook, Frederick A.
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
