attain
[ uh-teyn ]
/ əˈteɪn /
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.
QUIZZES
CAN YOU GUESS THESE WORDS FROM AROUND THE US?
American English is not always as it appears to be ... get to know regional words in this quiz!
Question 1 of 10
A bet is synonymous with a wager, but what does it mean in New York?
Origin of attain
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”
synonym study for attain
1. See gain1.
OTHER WORDS FROM attain
Words nearby attain
attack, attack ad, attack dog, attack rate, attagirl, attain, attainable, attainder, attainment, attainment target, attaint
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020
Example sentences from the Web for attain
British Dictionary definitions for attain
attain
/ (əˈteɪn) /
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 forms of attain
attainable, adjectiveattainability or attainableness, nounWord 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