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.

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

Related formsat·tain·er, nounre·at·tain, verb (used with object)un·at·tained, adjectiveun·at·tain·ing, adjectivewell-at·tained, adjective

Synonyms for attain

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1. secure. See gain¹.

Antonyms for attain

1, 2. miss.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Related Words for attain

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

Examples from the Web for attain

Contemporary Examples of attain

“The U.S. Navy will attain IOC [initial operational capability] in 2018 with 3F software,” DellaVedova wrote.
Pentagon Misfires in Stealth Jet Scandal
Dave Majumdar
January 8, 2015
Dahl went on to attain nationwide fame and his own syndicated broadcast as a result of Disco Demolition Night.
Of Gamers, Gates, and Disco Demolition: The Roots of Reactionary Rage
Arthur Chu
October 16, 2014
Before you attempt this risky fashion move, you need to attain the chest necessary to fill out even the most modest of V-necks.
Jude Law and the Great Male ‘He-Vage’ Crisis
Tim Teeman
May 20, 2014
This family of doctrines held that human beings had the potential to attain immortality through their own agency.
The Core Mormon Teaching the LDS Church Didn’t Jettison
Jay Michaelson
April 7, 2014
Again, take weight loss: it appears that lacking a network of social support can make it much harder to attain.
3 Ways to Make Your New Year’s Resolution Stick, 1 Week Later
Jesse Singal
January 7, 2014

Historical Examples of attain

The ideal, or even my own ideal, I shall probably not attain.
United States Presidents' Inaugural Speeches
Various
And to attain it, we must be aware of its full meaning—and ready to pay its full price.
United States Presidents' Inaugural Speeches
Various
Every thought was bent to attain the end, no labour was deemed to arduous.
The Grand Old Man
Richard B. Cook
While God's Will may be for our happiness, we can attain to neither the happiness nor the Will—as yet.
The Conquest of Fear
Basil King
I may attain great merit by my struggle, but I cannot make myself a Kant.
Understanding the Scriptures
Francis McConnell

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

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.