attained
Americanadjective
-
reached or achieved, often after considerable time and effort.
Any country with a reactor and a fairly easily attained level of expertise can build an atomic bomb.
-
having reached a specified level of accomplishment; skilled or expert.
He was an eminent professor of religion and a highly attained mystic.
verb
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of attained
First recorded in 1590–1600; attain ( def. ) + -ed 2 ( def. ) for the adjective senses; attain ( def. ) + -ed 1 ( def. ) for the verb sense
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 cranks up a voting-themed choral cover of “Golden,” from KPop Demon Hunters, that has attained meme status in lefty corners.
From Slate ● Nov. 4, 2026
The emotional compass of the United Farm Workers of America for decades, the petite mother of 13 attained singular stature as a rule-breaking proto-feminist, godmother of the Chicano power movement and doyenne of American labor.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 28, 2026
The Beijing native attained a doctorate in earth sciences from the University of Southern California in 2003.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 14, 2026
He served as a military lawyer and attained the rank of Air Force colonel, an experience that informed his interventionist stance in foreign affairs.
From Barron's ● Jul. 12, 2026
These perilous seas kept the continent locked away until 1774, when Captain James Cook reached the farthest south latitude yet attained.
From "Shipwreck at the Bottom of the World" by Jennifer Armstrong
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
