attain

American  

[uh-teyn] / əˈteɪn /

verb (used with object)

1. to reach, achieve, or accomplish; gain; obtain.

   to attain one's goals.

   Synonyms:

   secure

   Antonyms:

   miss

2. to come to or arrive at, especially after some labor or tedium; reach.

   to attain the age of 96;

   to attain the mountain peak.

   Antonyms:

   miss

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verb (used without object)

1. to arrive at or succeed in reaching or obtaining something (usually followed by to orunto ).

   to attain to knowledge.

2. to reach in the course of development or growth.

   These trees attain to remarkable height.

attain British  

/ əˈteɪn /

verb

1. (tr) to achieve or accomplish (a task, goal, aim, etc)

2. (tr) to reach or arrive at in space or time

   to attain old age

3. to arrive (at) with effort or exertion

   to attain to glory

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Related Words

See gain ¹.

Other Word Forms

• attainability noun
• attainable adjective
• attainer noun
• reattain verb (used with object)
• unattaining adjective

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.

Example Sentences

“In China, if they have a long-term goal, they can attain it.”

From Salon • Apr. 9, 2026

Long-term, he says, Europe needs to think about how to better build energy stockpiles and reduce or reorganise energy consumption to attain more control over sudden supply changes, like we're seeing now.

From BBC • Mar. 19, 2026

And like anyone who has had to grow up too quickly, she struggles to attain real maturity.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 17, 2026

To attain that objective, GDP will need to average 4.17% growth or more over the next decade, according to an official Chinese guidebook published last year.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 5, 2026

“Now, what standard did you attain in school?”

From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela

Related Words

• complete
• earn
• gain
• obtain
• promote
• reach
• realize
• reap
• secure