attainment
Americannoun
-
attainments
plural
-
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
10 Words for Victory
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Byrd and Igloo: A Polar Adventure
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
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.
See Examples For:
“Marrying early has universally detrimental effects over a range of outcomes, including educational attainment; earnings; physical, reproductive, and mental health; experiences of violence; and likelihood of divorce, particularly for girls,” the study found.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 26, 2026
Second-generation black African immigrants also outshine most other demographic groups when it comes to educational attainment: Almost 60% have a bachelor’s degree and a mere 3.6% don’t finish high school.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 10, 2026
The poverty-related attainment gap has narrowed compared with both last year and 2019, the year before Covid forced schools to close.
From BBC ● Aug. 4, 2026
The latest figures show the attainment gap at National 5 level between those with and without ASN was 8.9 percentage points in 2026.
From BBC ● Aug. 4, 2026
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
Such moments remind us that The Beatles’ attainments were the result of spirited collaboration involving a like-minded group of dedicated artists, producers, and engineers.
From Salon ● Nov. 21, 2025
"I am very serious about my education, and my educational attainments."
From BBC ● Oct. 16, 2023
For all his attainments, though, Roth remained forever a younger sibling; the family darling with an underwear drawer so beautifully arrayed his mother led her mah-jongg group on a tour of it.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 2, 2021
A full appreciation of him has been hobbled by his polymathic attainments.
From New York Times ● Aug. 22, 2019
As a result, their attainments in astronomical theory seem to have paled in comparison to their achievements in engineering, medicine, and statecraft.
From "Circumference" by Nicholas Nicastro
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.
