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
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
The only way to attain a fair and unbiased system of determining districts nationwide is with an act of Congress.
—
Marc Lampe, San Diego Union-Tribune, 28 Oct. 2025
But in the dry indoor environment inside your house, these mites can attain huge populations due to the absence of anything to keep them in check, says Bertone.
—Arricca Elin Sansone, Southern Living, 27 Oct. 2025
Rightly considered a supercar in its day, Aston Martin’s DB5 is arguably the first vehicle to attain superstar status as well, thanks to playing the sidekick of covert operative James Bond in the 1964 film Goldfinger.
—Viju Mathew, Robb Report, 27 Oct. 2025
The storm hit 75 mph winds to attain hurricane status on Saturday afternoon, the National Hurricane Center said.
—Doyle Rice, USA Today, 25 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for attain
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Marc Lampe, San Diego Union-Tribune, 28 Oct. 2025
But in the dry indoor environment inside your house, these mites can attain huge populations due to the absence of anything to keep them in check, says Bertone.
—Arricca Elin Sansone, Southern Living, 27 Oct. 2025
Rightly considered a supercar in its day, Aston Martin’s DB5 is arguably the first vehicle to attain superstar status as well, thanks to playing the sidekick of covert operative James Bond in the 1964 film Goldfinger.
—Viju Mathew, Robb Report, 27 Oct. 2025
The storm hit 75 mph winds to attain hurricane status on Saturday afternoon, the National Hurricane Center said.
—Doyle Rice, USA Today, 25 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for attain
Cite this Entry
“Attain.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/attain. Accessed 31 Oct. 2025.
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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