attain
verb (used with object)
to reach, achieve, or accomplish; gain; obtain.
had attained
-
past perfectof attain.past perfect
Used to express a completed action that took place before another specific past action occurred.
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.
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
By my father’s generation, my family had attained middle-class status and moved to the Long Island suburbs.
From Slate ● May 29, 2025
Back on that October evening, Morgan Rogers’ late goal at the Riverside Stadium sentenced the Blues to defeat and nudged them out of the play-off spot they had attained under the recently-sacked John Eustace.
From BBC ● Mar. 12, 2024
But only 4.8% had attained that goal four years later, according to the California Youth Transitions to Adulthood Study.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 10, 2023
When they bound Shadrack into a straitjacket, he was both relieved and grateful, for his hands were at last hidden and confined to whatever size they had attained.
From "Sula" by Toni Morrison
