attain
Americanverb (used with object)
verb (used without object)
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to arrive at or succeed in reaching or obtaining something (usually followed by to orunto ).
to attain to knowledge.
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to reach in the course of development or growth.
These trees attain to remarkable height.
verb
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(tr) to achieve or accomplish (a task, goal, aim, etc)
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(tr) to reach or arrive at in space or time
to attain old age
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to arrive (at) with effort or exertion
to attain to glory
Synonym Usage
See gain 1.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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unattainingadjective
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attainabilitynoun
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attainernoun
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attainableadjective
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reattainverb (used with object)
Conjugated Forms
Present
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have attainedperfect
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has attainedperfect 3rd person singular
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am attainingprogressive 1st person singular
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are attainingprogressive
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is attainingprogressive 3rd person singular
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has been attainingperfect progressive 3rd person singular
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attainssingular 3rd person
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attainingparticiple
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have been attainingperfect progressive
Past
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had attainedperfect
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were attainingprogressive plural
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was attainingprogressive singular
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attainedparticiple
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attainedsimple
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had been attainingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of attain
First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English atei(g)nen, from Anglo-French, Old French ateign- (stem of ateindre ), from unattested Vulgar Latin attangere (for Latin attingere ), equivalent to Latin at- at- + tangere “to touch”
Explanation
The verb attain is all about reaching some mark of achievement. You can attain a goal. You can even attain a destination. If you consistently have the highest grades in your class, you'll probably attain a reputation for success. Attain derives in part from the Latin tangere, "to touch," which is also at the root of retain, "to keep," obtain, "to get," and contain, "to control." One might obtain the discipline to contain one's emotions while studying, thereby attaining control and retaining more information.
Vocabulary lists containing attain
Vocabulary from the Constitution of the United States
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Richard Nixon's "Checkers" Speech (1952)
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"The Book Thief" by Markus Zusak, Part Six
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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.
Is it easier to find the empathy and humanity in playing a character desperate to attain the power than someone already holding it, like an Elon Musk or a Jeff Bezos?
From Los Angeles Times • May 21, 2026
You certainly did not attain your wealth alone.
From MarketWatch • May 20, 2026
“In normal life,” Mr. Nguyen writes, “we struggle in order to attain some goal that we really want.”
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 15, 2026
“In China, if they have a long-term goal, they can attain it.”
From Salon • Apr. 9, 2026
The international court determined that the children and teenagers of the Third Reich had been betrayed, deserted, and sacrificed by a party and a regime that had used them to attain power.
From "Hitler Youth: Growing Up in Hitler's Shadow" by Susan Campbell Bartoletti
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.
