attainment
Americannoun
-
an act of attaining.
-
something attained; a personal acquirement; achievement.
- Synonyms:
- accomplishment
noun
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of attainment
First recorded in 1350–1400, attainment is from the Middle English word attenement. See attain, -ment
Explanation
The effort put into something and the pay-off when the work is over is called attainment. Attainment of your goal of learning to make the perfect omelet requires breaking a lot of eggs. An attainment isn't just handed to you — you have to earn it through skill and hard work. In fact, in slang, attainment is used interchangeably with skill. You might say that the inventiveness and originality of a particular rapper is his attainment, just as his fame, fortune, and respect in the hip-hop community is also his attainment.
Vocabulary lists containing attainment
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Byrd and Igloo: A Polar Adventure
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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.
Dr. Doyle soon attained immense popularity by his narratives of The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, which were first published in the Strand Magazine.
From Short Stories of Various Types by Freck, Laura F.
He was always apparently a strenuous, conscientious, and courageous man, and attained immense skill as a seaman.
From Privateers and Privateering by Statham, E. P.
In 1891 he attained immense popularity by The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, which first appeared in The Strand Magazine.
From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 8, Slice 6 "Dodwell" to "Drama" by Various
His work was at first neglected, while the poems of Scott, Byron and Tennyson in succession attained immense popularity.
From Outlines of English and American Literature : an Introduction to the Chief Writers of England and America, to the Books They Wrote, and to the Times in Which They Lived by Long, William Joseph
There uses for explosives have attained immense proportions, and their applications for structural purposes are continually on the increase.
From Researches on Cellulose 1895-1900 by Cross, C. F.
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.
