attained

American

[uh-teynd] / əˈteɪnd /

adjective

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

the simple past tense and past participle of attain.

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.

Regardless of what goes into the McRib or how it’s priced, the sandwich has attained a status that arguably makes it the most celebrated limited-time item in fast-food history.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 29, 2026

Lowery explores the wounds inflicted by fame’s piercing orbit, implying that absolution isn’t attained by climbing stardom’s echelons, but by falling just before reaching the top, hitting every last regret on the way down.

From Salon • Apr. 24, 2026

On April 14, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney’s Liberal Party attained a majority in Parliament thanks to by-elections and defections from the opposition Conservatives.

From Barron's • Apr. 23, 2026

“He attained absolute power and lost sight of the goal,” said milk farmer Imre Barna, 32, standing in front of a stall selling “Make Hungary Great Again” T-shirts with Orbán’s picture.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 11, 2026

“No! why should I? I was sent to Lowood to get an education; and it would be of no use going away until I have attained that object.”

From "Jane Eyre" by Charlotte Brontë

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023