attained
Americanadjective
-
reached or achieved, often after considerable time and effort.
Any country with a reactor and a fairly easily attained level of expertise can build an atomic bomb.
-
having reached a specified level of accomplishment; skilled or expert.
He was an eminent professor of religion and a highly attained mystic.
verb
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of attained
First recorded in 1590–1600; attain ( def. ) + -ed 2 ( def. ) for the adjective senses; attain ( def. ) + -ed 1 ( def. ) for the verb sense
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.
That mark is based on the valuation SpaceX attained late last year, and is likely to go significantly higher in an IPO.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 18, 2026
Regardless of what goes into the McRib or how it’s priced, the sandwich has attained a status that arguably makes it the most celebrated limited-time item in fast-food history.
From MarketWatch • Apr. 29, 2026
On April 14, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney’s Liberal Party attained a majority in Parliament thanks to by-elections and defections from the opposition Conservatives.
From Barron's • Apr. 23, 2026
They attained all their military objectives but were forced to withdraw by President Eisenhower of the United States.
From BBC • Mar. 28, 2026
“No! why should I? I was sent to Lowood to get an education; and it would be of no use going away until I have attained that object.”
From "Jane Eyre" by Charlotte Brontë
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.
