attained

American  

[uh-teynd] / əˈteɪnd /

adjective

1. 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.

2. having reached a specified level of accomplishment; skilled or expert.

   He was an eminent professor of religion and a highly attained mystic.

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verb

1. the simple past tense and past participle of attain.

Other Word Forms

• unattained adjective
• well-attained adjective

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

He had attained the rank of Hujjat al-Islam, but was presented as ayatollah -- a higher rank held by his father and by revolutionary leader Ruhollah Khomeini -- upon his appointment as supreme leader.

From Barron's • Mar. 8, 2026

Aaron Bay-Schuck, Warner’s CEO, thinks that approach will help propel Batson to heights attained by one conspicuous former teen star.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 22, 2026

Fellow Englishmen Canter, John Parry and Jordan Smith have also attained membership, while Neergaard-Petersen's strong finish also secured a spot.

From BBC • Nov. 16, 2025

In the 33 years since it was first announced and the two decades since construction started, the GEM has attained near-mythic status.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 5, 2025

I wanted to linger there, experiencing the sensation of something precious perilously attained too late and now to be lost forever—a poignancy.

From "Invisible Man" by Ralph Ellison

Related Words

• accomplished
• completed
• executed
• finished
• performed