attainment

American  

[uh-teyn-muhnt] / əˈteɪn mənt /

noun

1. an act of attaining.

2. something attained; a personal acquirement; achievement.

   Synonyms:

   accomplishment

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attainment British  

/ əˈteɪnmənt /

noun

1. an achievement or the act of achieving; accomplishment

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Other Word Forms

• nonattainment noun
• reattainment noun

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.

Example Sentences

These included educational attainment, median household income, racial composition, average temperature and relative humidity, smoking prevalence, BMI, and distance to the nearest hospital.

From Science Daily • Feb. 24, 2026

Places with heavier rap exposure didn’t experience higher crime, lower educational attainment or weaker labor-market outcomes relative to trends elsewhere.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 2, 2026

Pepe Di'Iasio, general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, said there was "good evidence that missing time in the classroom has a direct impact on a child's attainment and future prospects".

From BBC • Jan. 29, 2026

The disability program combines those categories with physical characteristics and educational attainment to determine whether an applicant should receive benefits.

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 22, 2025

Rather than channel his abilities into the attainment of awards and prizes, however, Gellert Grindelwald devoted himself to other pursuits.

From "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" by J.K. Rowling

Related Words

• fulfillment
• realization