attain definition

English

Etymology

From Anglo-Norman ataindre, from Old French, from Latin attingō.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /əˈteɪn/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

• Rhymes: -eɪn

Verb

attain (third-person singular simple present attains, present participle attaining, simple past and past participle attained)

1. (transitive) To gain (an object or desired result).

   Synonyms: accomplish, achieve, get

   To attain such a high level of proficiency requires hours of practice each day.

   • 1595 December 9 (first known performance), William Shakespeare, “The life and death of King Richard the Second”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies: Published According to the True Originall Copies (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, OCLC 606515358, [Act II, scene iii]:

     Lord Ross. Your presence makes us rich, most noble lord.
     Lord Willoughby. And far surmounts our labour to attain it.

   • 1847 January – 1848 July, William Makepeace Thackeray, chapter 63, in Vanity Fair. A Novel without a Hero, London: Bradbury and Evans, […], published 1848, OCLC 3174108, page 572:

     […] he will stick at no falsehood, or hesitate at no crime, to attain his ends.

   • 1885, W[illiam] S[chwenck] Gilbert; Arthur Sullivan, composer, chapter I, in […] The Mikado; or, The Town of Titipu, London: Chappel & Co., […], OCLC 25083293, Act I, page 6:

     […] that’s the highest rank a citizen can attain!

   • 1937, George Orwell, The Road to Wigan Pier, New York: Harcourt, Brace, 1958, Part 1, Chapter 5, p. 82,^[1]

     […] solitude is never easy to attain in a working-class home

   • 1964 July, S. W. Smart, “The Southern needs no centralised Control”, in Modern Railways, page 50:

     But an absolutely right time arrival of all trains on the same day is never attained.

   • 2007, Mohsin Hamid, The Reluctant Fundamentalist, Orlando: Harcourt, Chapter 11, p. 157,^[2]

     Where else could I […] hope to attain such an impressive income?

2. (transitive) To reach or come to, by progression or motion; to arrive at (a place, time, state, etc.).
   • 1599, William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Iulius Cæsar”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, OCLC 606515358, [Act V, scene v]:

     […] my bones would rest,
     That have but labour’d to attain this hour.

   • 1667, John Milton, “Book X”, in Paradise Lost. […], London: […] [Samuel Simmons], […], OCLC 228722708; republished as Paradise Lost in Ten Books: […], London: Basil Montagu Pickering […], 1873, OCLC 230729554, line 1026:

     Canaan he now attains,

   • 1792, Mary Wollstonecraft, chapter 4, in A Vindication of the Rights of Woman‎^[3]:

     It has also been asserted, by some naturalists, that men do not attain their full growth and strength till thirty; but that women arrive at maturity by twenty.

   • 1818, [Mary Shelley], chapter 3, in Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus. […], volume (please specify |volume=I to III), London: […] [Macdonald and Son] for Lackington, Hughes, Harding, Mavor, & Jones, OCLC 830979744:

     the southern gales […] blow us speedily towards those shores which I so ardently desire to attain

3. (intransitive) To come or arrive, by motion, growth, bodily exertion, or efforts toward a place, object, state, etc.

   Synonyms: get, reach

   • 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], OCLC 964384981, Psalm 139:6:

     Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high, I can not attain unto it.

   • 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], OCLC 964384981, Acts 27:12:

     if by any means they might attain to Phenice

   • 1782, William Cowper, letter to Joseph Hill dated 11 November, 1782, in Private Correspondence of William Cowper, London: Henry Colburn, 1824, Volume 1, p. 222,^[4]

     You may not, perhaps, live to see your trees attain to the dignity of timber—I, nevertheless, approve of your planting, and the disinterested spirit that prompts you to it.

   • 1810, Walter Scott, “Canto I. The Chase.”, in The Lady of the Lake; a Poem, Edinburgh: […] [James Ballantyne and Co.] for John Ballantyne and Co.; London: Longman, Hurst, Rees, and Orme, and William Miller, OCLC 6632529, stanza 7, page 10:

     For, scarce a spear’s length from his haunch,
     Vindictive toiled the blood-hounds staunch;
     Nor nearer might the dogs attain,
     Nor farther might the quarry strain.

   • 1874, John Richard Green, A Short History of the English People, London: Macmillan, Chapter 2, Section 6, p. 90,^[5]

     Few boroughs had as yet attained to power such as this,

4. (transitive, obsolete) To get at the knowledge of.

   Synonym: ascertain

   • 1655, Thomas Fuller, “Section II”, in James Nichols, editor, The Church History of Britain, […], volume (please specify |volume=I to III), new edition, London: […] [James Nichols] for Thomas Tegg and Son, […], published 1837, OCLC 913056315:

     […] Master Camden, sometimes acknowledgeth, sometimes denieth him for an English Earle. Not that I accuse him as inconstant to himself, but suspect my self not well attaining his meaning therein.

5. (transitive, obsolete) To reach in excellence or degree.

   Synonym: equal

   • 1625, Francis [Bacon], “Of Innovations”, in The Essayes […], 3rd edition, London: […] Iohn Haviland for Hanna Barret, OCLC 863521290, page 139:

     Yet notwithstanding as Those that first bring Honour into their Family, are commonly more worthy, then most that succeed: So the first President (if it be good) is seldome attained by Imitation.

6. (transitive, obsolete) To reach a person after being behind them.

   Synonyms: catch up with, overtake

   • 1622, Francis, Lord Verulam, Viscount St. Alban [i.e. Francis Bacon], The Historie of the Raigne of King Henry the Seventh, […], London: […] W[illiam] Stansby for Matthew Lownes, and William Barret, OCLC 1086746628, page page-174:

     The Earle finding […] the enemie retired, pursued with all celeritie into Scotland; hoping to haue ouer-taken the Scottish King, and to haue giuen him Battaile; But not attaining him in time, sate downe before the Castle of Aton […] which in a small time hee tooke.

Derived terms

• attainable

Related terms

• attainder
• attainment
• attaint
• attainture

Translations

Anagrams

• Anitta