Dictionary.com
definitions

attain

[uh-teyn]
||
SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR attain ON THESAURUS.COM

verb (used with object)

to reach, achieve, or accomplish; gain; obtain: to attain one's goals.
to come to or arrive at, especially after some labor or tedium; reach: to attain the age of 96; to attain the mountain peak.

verb (used without object)

to arrive at or succeed in reaching or obtaining something (usually followed by to or unto): to attain to knowledge.
to reach in the course of development or growth: These trees attain to remarkable height.

RELATED CONTENT

Let Me Count the Ways: 10 Numerical IdiomsRead more in this article about some frequently asked questions and fun facts related to our definitions.
READ MORE
12 Words For Happiness So Merry You Can’t Help But GrinRead more in this article about some frequently asked questions and fun facts related to our definitions.
READ MORE

RELATED WORDS

earn, secure, reach, obtain, gain, promote, reap, realize, complete, cop, unzip, hit, score, get, win, acquire, procure, snag, succeed, grasp

Nearby words

  1. attack ad,
  2. attack dog,
  3. attack rate,
  4. attacker,
  5. attagirl,
  6. attainable,
  7. attainder,
  8. attainment,
  9. attainment target,
  10. attaint

Origin of attain

1300–50; Middle English atei(g)nen < Anglo-French, Old French ateign- (stem of ateindre) < Vulgar Latin *attangere (for Latin attingere), equivalent to Latin at- at- + tangere to touch
ANTONYMS FOR attain
1, 2. miss.
SEE MORE ANTONYMS FOR attain ON THESAURUS.COM
Related forms
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for attain

British Dictionary definitions for attain

attain

verb

(tr) to achieve or accomplish (a task, goal, aim, etc)
(tr) to reach or arrive at in space or timeto attain old age
(intr often foll by to) to arrive (at) with effort or exertionto attain to glory
Derived Formsattainable, adjectiveattainability or attainableness, noun

Word Origin for attain

C14: from Old French ateindre, from Latin attingere to reach, from tangere to touch
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Word Origin and History for attain

attain

v.

c.1300, "to succeed in reaching," from stem of Old French ataindre (11c., Modern French atteindre) "to come up to, reach, attain, endeavor, strive," from Vulgar Latin *adtangere, from Latin attingere "to touch, to arrive at," from ad- "to" (see ad-) + tangere "to touch" (see tangent). Latin attingere had a wide range of meanings, including "to attack, to strike, to appropriate, to manage," all somehow suggested by the literal sense "to touch." Related: Attained; attaining.

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper