attainment
Americannoun
-
an act of attaining.
-
something attained; a personal acquirement; achievement.
- Synonyms:
- accomplishment
noun
Other Word Forms
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
10 Words for Victory
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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.
Each year's budget paper has indeed pledged an extra £200m to the Attainment Scotland Fund, which is distributed to councils and individual schools based on their needs.
From BBC • Mar. 25, 2026
A tracker from the National College Attainment Network also shows a 9.6% drop in applications through December compared with the same time last academic year.
From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 2, 2025
Completing that form makes a student 84% more likely to immediately enroll in some kind of postsecondary program, according to the National College Attainment Network.
From Seattle Times • Apr. 1, 2024
Five states — Alabama, California, Illinois, Louisiana and Texas — now require high school seniors to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, known as FAFSA, according to the National College Attainment Network.
From New York Times • Oct. 14, 2022
Perhaps you may think it a great Attainment, if, like Aaron, when his Sons died before the Lord, you can hold your Peacen, under the awful Stroke.
From Submission to Divine Providence in the Death of Children Recommended and inforced, in a sermon preached at Northampton, on the death of a very amiable and hopeful child, about five years old by Doddridge, Philip
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.
