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
By the standards of Sin City, the casino has attained a modest amount of infamy and lore over its 25 years in operation.
—
Patrick Brzeski, The Hollywood Reporter, 5 Nov. 2024
If the goal is too narrow, investments will not attain ROI.
—Sajal Singh, Forbes, 4 Nov. 2024
However, as he's moved further from New York reality star to conservative politician and champion of evangelical priorities, he's attained an 81 percent approval from white evangelicals, per PRRI, in 2024.
—David Faris, Newsweek, 4 Nov. 2024
Gascón also noted jurors still remain hesitant to convict police, and sometimes plea deals are the best way to attain some measure of accountability.
—James Queally, Los Angeles Times, 31 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for attain 
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Patrick Brzeski, The Hollywood Reporter, 5 Nov. 2024
If the goal is too narrow, investments will not attain ROI.
—Sajal Singh, Forbes, 4 Nov. 2024
However, as he's moved further from New York reality star to conservative politician and champion of evangelical priorities, he's attained an 81 percent approval from white evangelicals, per PRRI, in 2024.
—David Faris, Newsweek, 4 Nov. 2024
Gascón also noted jurors still remain hesitant to convict police, and sometimes plea deals are the best way to attain some measure of accountability.
—James Queally, Los Angeles Times, 31 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for attain
Articles Related to attain
Dictionary Entries Near attain
Cite this Entry
“Attain.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/attain. Accessed 24 Nov. 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
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share