attain

UK: /əˈteɪn/ US: /əˈteɪn/ ,(ə tān′)

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2025

at•tain /əˈteɪn/   v. [~ + object]

1. to come to or arrive at; gain;
   achieve:
   to attain one's goals.

at•tain•a•bil•i•ty /əˌteɪnəˈbɪlɪti/  n. [uncountable]
at•tain•a•ble, adj. 
at•tain•er, n. [countable] See -tain-.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025

at•tain  (ə tān′), v.t. 

1. to reach, achieve, or accomplish;
   gain;
   obtain:
   to attain one's goals.
2. to come to or arrive at, esp. after some labor or tedium;
   reach:
   to attain the age of 96; to attain the mountain peak.

v.i. 

3. to arrive at or succeed in reaching or obtaining something (usually fol. by to or unto):
   to attain to knowledge.
4. to reach in the course of development or growth:
   These trees attain to remarkable height.

• Vulgar Latin *attangere (for Latin attingere), equivalent. to Latin at- at- + tangere to touch
• Anglo-French, Old French ateign- (stem of ateindre)
• Middle English atei(g)nen 1300–50

at•tain′er, n. 
Synonyms

• 1. secure. See gain ¹.

Antonyms

• 1, 2. miss.

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

attain / əˈteɪn/ verb

1. (transitive) to achieve or accomplish (a task, goal, aim, etc)
2. (transitive) to reach or arrive at in space or time
3. (intransitive) often followed by to: to arrive (at) with effort or exertion

Etymology: 14th Century: from Old French ateindre, from Latin attingere to reach, from tangere to touch

atˈtainable adjective

atˌtainaˈbility, atˈtainableness noun