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)
-
attained,
past participle, past
-
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:
His nuanced supporting work allowed some of the greatest actresses of their moment attain their first fireworks.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 13, 2026
Walt Hazzard and Gail Goodrich didn’t attain the necessary 75% of votes.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 27, 2026
To help attain that goal, China is hiring former military pilots from abroad who can impart combat skills and intelligence, American and other Western officials say.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 24, 2026
You certainly did not attain your wealth alone.
From MarketWatch ● May 20, 2026
The wind generated from such a column could reach out hundreds of feet and might attain hurricanelike speeds.
From "The Great Fire" by Jim Murphy
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
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
“It’s brutal, it’s very painful, it’s a theme that attains indignation, rage,” says Murillo, speaking in Spanish via Zoom from her home in Mexico City.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 13, 2023
The average world temperature, he says, would in the end be raised some thirty degrees, till it attains 72°.
From "The Left Hand of Darkness" by Ursula K. Le Guin
If we are lucky enough to survive into our 20s, and have attained some degree of adult consciousness, we all will have lived a coming-of-age story.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 5, 2026
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
Our founders scarcely could have foreseen the world we inhabit today: the industries we have built, the technologies we have invented, the prosperity we have created and the power we have attained.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 23, 2026
Upon arriving in India on 30 May, Min Aung Hlaing visited Bodh Gaya and offered prayers at the Mahabodhi Temple, built at the site where Buddha is believed to have attained enlightenment.
From BBC ● Jun. 2, 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
Ending a “two-tiered system” in which affluent and poor clients often have different results, especially when it comes to attaining bail, and eliminating courtroom bias are among his campaign priorities.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 1, 2026
But in a reflection of the parents, the show largely ignores the kids until finally bringing them forward and attaining a novelistic quality that separates it from so many less-bingeable series.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 9, 2026
Or is it attaining larger participation figures across the nation?
From BBC ● Jan. 23, 2026
That initial public offering was oversubscribed by 2750 times and has increased in value by six times since floating, attaining a market capitalization of around $44 billion.
From MarketWatch ● Dec. 17, 2025
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.
