attained; attaining; attains
2
: to come into possession of : obtain
he attained preferment over his fellows
3
: to come to as the end of a progression or course of movement
They attained the top of the hill.
attain a ripe old age
: to come or arrive by motion, growth, or effort
—usually used with to
will probably attain to a height of six feet
Synonyms
Examples of attain in a Sentence
a quest to attain enlightenment
She refused to let the injury keep her from attaining her goal of being in the Olympics.
This kind of tree can attain a height of 20 feet within just a few years.
The car can attain a top speed of 200 mph.
Recent Examples on the Web
Kennedy has not invoked his heritage as a ploy to attain the presidency.
—
David Marks, Orlando Sentinel, 25 June 2024
One important point to attaining these objectives is for the losing presidential candidate (or departing president) to decamp from the party leadership, leaving it to new entrants to set the party’s direction.
—Frank Donatelli, Chicago Tribune, 20 June 2024
The 1968 horror thriller Rosemary’s Baby from Roman Polanski was a box office smash, and many of Farrow’s outfits attained big-screen icon status.
—Erik Pedersen, Deadline, 18 June 2024
Bologne was the first classical composer of African descent to attain widespread acclaim in European music in the mid to late 1700s.
—Duante Beddingfield, Detroit Free Press, 14 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for attain 
David Marks, Orlando Sentinel, 25 June 2024
One important point to attaining these objectives is for the losing presidential candidate (or departing president) to decamp from the party leadership, leaving it to new entrants to set the party’s direction.
—Frank Donatelli, Chicago Tribune, 20 June 2024
The 1968 horror thriller Rosemary’s Baby from Roman Polanski was a box office smash, and many of Farrow’s outfits attained big-screen icon status.
—Erik Pedersen, Deadline, 18 June 2024
Bologne was the first classical composer of African descent to attain widespread acclaim in European music in the mid to late 1700s.
—Duante Beddingfield, Detroit Free Press, 14 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for attain
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'attain.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Attain.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/attain. Accessed 2 Jul. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
attain
verb
at·tain
ə-ˈtān 
1
: to reach as a goal : accomplish, achieve
2
: to come to possess : obtain
3
: to arrive at : reach
attain the top of the mountain
—often used with to
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