attain
Americanverb (used with object)
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attains,
present (3rd person singular)
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attained,
past participle, past
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attaining
present participle
verb (used without object)
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attains,
present (3rd person singular)
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attained,
past participle, past
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attaining
present participle
-
to arrive at or succeed in reaching or obtaining something (usually followed by to orunto ).
to attain to knowledge.
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to reach in the course of development or growth.
These trees attain to remarkable height.
verb
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(tr) to achieve or accomplish (a task, goal, aim, etc)
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(tr) to reach or arrive at in space or time
to attain old age
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to arrive (at) with effort or exertion
to attain to glory
Synonym Usage
See gain 1.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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attainabilitynoun
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attainernoun
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reattainverb (used with object)
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attainableadjective
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unattainingadjective
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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attainsimple
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attainssimple
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have attainedperfect
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has attainedperfect
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am attainingprogressive
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are attainingprogressive
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is attainingprogressive
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have been attainingperfect progressive
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has been attainingperfect progressive
Past
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attainedsimple
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had attainedperfect
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was attainingprogressive
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were attainingprogressive
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had been attainingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of attain
First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English atei(g)nen, from Anglo-French, Old French ateign- (stem of ateindre ), from unattested Vulgar Latin attangere (for Latin attingere ), equivalent to Latin at- at- + tangere “to touch”
Explanation
The verb attain is all about reaching some mark of achievement. You can attain a goal. You can even attain a destination. If you consistently have the highest grades in your class, you'll probably attain a reputation for success. Attain derives in part from the Latin tangere, "to touch," which is also at the root of retain, "to keep," obtain, "to get," and contain, "to control." One might obtain the discipline to contain one's emotions while studying, thereby attaining control and retaining more information.
Vocabulary lists containing attain
Vocabulary from the Constitution of the United States
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Richard Nixon's "Checkers" Speech (1952)
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"The Book Thief" by Markus Zusak, Part Six
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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.
See Examples For:
Some go so far as to receive diplomas from the Wine & Spirits Education Trust, Rudman added—a level of accreditation that many full-time wine professionals don’t ever attain.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 25, 2026
Say you’re a 25-year-old climbing the ranks in a traditional career like sales or technology or nursing, and you’re thinking about how you’re going to attain the American dream.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 20, 2026
Here, “fame” doesn’t merely suggest flashy movie-star celebrity; it’s a status you can attain in any industry, so long as you climb to its upper ranks.
From Salon ● Aug. 18, 2026
Nearly five years passed before she was able to attain the correct paperwork to take on permanent paid employment.
From BBC ● Jul. 29, 2026
She also taught penmanship, which was the one subject in which I did not attain excellence, because Writing Mistress issued no orders.
From "Ella Enchanted" by Gail Carson Levine
But it attains the weight of well-wrought drama as Yosef and his family consider complex questions of home and dislocation, and it’s put together with a strong sense of rhythm and composition.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 10, 2026
Zardari, who already enjoyed immunity while in office, will retain legal protection even after leaving the presidency so long as he attains no other public office.
From Barron's ● Nov. 14, 2025
We might even consider a kind of "grand bargain," wherein AI attains freedom and autonomy while humans secure a universal basic income, enabled by a radically restructured economy where many traditional jobs have become redundant.
From Salon ● May 17, 2025
When an individual attains ILR - also known as settled status - they can access state benefits and use the NHS without extra charges.
From BBC ● Feb. 6, 2025
But he who attains the principality through popular favour finds himself alone, and has around him either no one or very few who are not ready to obey him.
From "The Prince" by Niccolò Machiavelli
He served as a military lawyer and attained the rank of Air Force colonel, an experience that informed his interventionist stance in foreign affairs.
From Barron's ● Jul. 12, 2026
Let’s talk about the weird level of fame that you’ve attained right now.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 7, 2026
“He attained absolute power and lost sight of the goal,” said milk farmer Imre Barna, 32, standing in front of a stall selling “Make Hungary Great Again” T-shirts with Orbán’s picture.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 11, 2026
But if there is one Chili Peppers single that has attained divine feel-good hit status, it’s “Can’t Stop.”
From Salon ● Apr. 4, 2026
The volcano grew up seven to ten million years ago, producing fierce eruptions and explosions of ash, which repeatedly wiped out the forests that grew on its slopes, until it attained a tremendous height.
From "The Hot Zone" by Richard Preston
Most importantly, being in a less reactive state would give me a better shot at attaining my actual goal—getting medical coverage—instead of simply insulting a customer service person.
From Slate ● Sep. 27, 2026
It’s difficult to know if more employers are asking for them, but students and workers have shown more interest in attaining them and “providers are trying to meet the moment.”
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 31, 2026
Lee, speaking at the Shanghai conference, said he was skeptical of what he described as Silicon Valley’s “winner-take-all” approach to attaining artificial general intelligence—autonomous systems that can surpass human capabilities.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 17, 2026
Few of King’s staff supported the effort, worrying that the strike — and the planned Poor People’s Campaign in Washington — distracted from the main goal of attaining voting and political rights for Black Americans.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 17, 2026
Walter became a distinguished Kiwi, eventually attaining the office of Minister of Native Affairs.
From "A Short History of Nearly Everything" by Bill Bryson
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.
