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
Biden, once again for being Biden, will not unrealistically attain access to drugs and treatment that will elongate his own life.
—
John Tamny, Forbes.com, 19 May 2025
The fact that the team had only participated in 12 races prior to 2010 highlights how, in this F1 era and within a relatively compressed segment of the world championship’s 75-year history, only Mercedes and Red Bull have attained true superteam status.
—Alex Kalinauckas, New York Times, 17 May 2025
Tesla moved its site of incorporation to Texas in June 2024 after attaining shareholders’ approval to do so after that loss in court.
—Lora Kolodny, CNBC, 16 May 2025
If there’s redemption or forgiveness to be found, it’s neither easily attained nor equally applied.
—Siddhant Adlakha, Variety, 15 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for attain
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John Tamny, Forbes.com, 19 May 2025
The fact that the team had only participated in 12 races prior to 2010 highlights how, in this F1 era and within a relatively compressed segment of the world championship’s 75-year history, only Mercedes and Red Bull have attained true superteam status.
—Alex Kalinauckas, New York Times, 17 May 2025
Tesla moved its site of incorporation to Texas in June 2024 after attaining shareholders’ approval to do so after that loss in court.
—Lora Kolodny, CNBC, 16 May 2025
If there’s redemption or forgiveness to be found, it’s neither easily attained nor equally applied.
—Siddhant Adlakha, Variety, 15 May 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 3 Jun. 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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