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attain

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary

English

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WOTD – 18 March 2026

Etymology

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The verb is derived from Middle English atteinen, atteynen (“to achieve, attain; to be adequate or sufficient; to affect; to come or get to (a place), reach; to corrupt, taint; to overcome, overpower; to overtake; to succeed; to tamper with; (law) to bring to justice, punish”),[1] from ataign-, a stem of Anglo-Norman ataindre, and Old French ataindre, attaindre (“to reach”) (modern French atteindre), from Vulgar Latin *attangere, from Latin attingere,[2] the present active infinitive of attingō (“to come into contact with, touch; to affect; to arrive at, reach; etc.”), from ad- (prefix indicating a nearing or reaching) (appearing as at- due to assimilation with the following t, inducing gemination) + tangō (“to grasp, touch; to arrive at, reach; to attain; etc.”) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *teh₂g- (“to grasp; to touch”)). Doublet of attainder and attinge.

The noun is derived from the verb.[3]

Pronunciation

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Verb

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attain (third-person singular simple present attains, present participle attaining, simple past and past participle attained)

  1. (transitive)
    1. To come to or reach (a place) by motion or progression.
    2. (figurative)
      1. To arrive at (a certain age or time, condition or state, etc.); to reach.
      2. To gain (a desired result or other objective) through effort; to accomplish, to achieve.
        Synonyms: arrive at, get, reach; see also Thesaurus:achieve
        To attain such a high level of proficiency requires hours of practice each day.
      3. (archaic) To gain possession of (something tangible or intangible) through effort; to acquire, to obtain.
        Synonyms: see Thesaurus:acquire
    3. (obsolete)
      1. To reach (someone) after being behind them.
        Synonyms: catch up with, overtake
      2. (figurative) To find out (information, knowledge, etc.); to ascertain, to get at.
        Synonyms: see Thesaurus:discover
        • 1574, Augustine Marlorate [i.e., Augustin Marlorat], “[Revelation 1:1]”, in Arthur Golding, transl., A Catholike Exposition vpon the Reuelation of Sainct Iohn. […], London: […] H[enry] Binneman, for L[ucas] Harison, and G[eorge] Bishop, →OCLC, folio 3, recto:
          [I]t pleaſeth God to diſcouer certayne things to his ſeruantes after this maner at the fyrſte ſpringing vp of the Goſpell: of whiche thyng we may now atteyne manifeſt knowledge by his worde.
        • 1655, Thomas Fuller, “Thomæ Hanson, Amico meo”, in The Church-history of Britain; […], London: […] Iohn Williams […], →OCLC, book III, page 65:
          And yet Maſter [William] Camden, ſometimes acknovvledgeth, ſometimes denieth him for an Engliſh Earle. Not that I accuſe him as inconſtant to himſelf, but ſuſpect my ſelf not vvell attaining his meaning therein.
        • 1655, Thomas Fuller, “Section V. To Master Peter Moroloys, and Master Thomas Rowse, of London, Merchants.”, in The Church-history of Britain; […], London: […] Iohn Williams […], →OCLC, book X, page 86:
          I cannot attain the exact date of the death of John Overall, carrying Superintendency in his Surname, the Biſhop of Norvvich; […]
  2. (intransitive) Often followed by to.
    1. (archaic) To come to or reach a place by motion or progression; to reach.
    2. (figurative)
      1. To arrive at a certain condition or state, etc.
        • 1782 November 11 (date written), William Cowper, “To Joseph Hill, Esq.”, in Private Correspondence of William Cowper, Esq. with Several of His Most Intimate Friends. […], volume I, London: […] [S[amuel] and R[ichard] Bentley] for Henry Colburn, […], and Simpkin and Marshall, […], published 1824, →OCLC, page 222:
          You may not, perhaps, live to see your trees attain to the dignity of timber—I, nevertheless, approve of your planting, and the disinterested spirit that prompts you to it.
      2. To gain possession of something tangible or intangible through effort.
        • 1535 October 14 (Gregorian calendar), Myles Coverdale, transl., Biblia: The Byble, […] (Coverdale Bible), [Cologne or Marburg]: [Eucharius Cervicornus and Johannes Soter?], →OCLC, Psalm cxxxviij:[6], folio xxxvij, recto, column 1:
          Such knowlege is to wonderfull ⁊ excellẽt [excellent] for me, I can not atteyne vnto it.
          Psalm 139 in modern versions of the Bible.
        • 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Psalm 139:6, signature Hhh3, recto, column 1:
          Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high, I can not attaine vnto it.
        • 1742, John Wesley, Charles Wesley, “Titus ii. 11, &c.”, in Hymns and Sacred Poems, Bristol: […] Felix Farley, […], →OCLC, part II, stanza 19, page 267:
          The glorious Prize I novv purſue, / For full Redemption vvait, / And ſoon I ſhall attain unto / My primitive Eſtate.
        • 1874, J[ohn] R[ichard] Green, “England under Foreign Kings, 1013–1204”, in A Short History of the English People, London: Macmillan and Co., →OCLC, section VI (The English Revival, 1071–1127), page 90:
          In London, for instance, the burgesses gathered in town-mote when the bell swung out from S. Paul's to deliberate freely on their own affairs under the presidency of their aldermen. […] Few boroughs had as yet attained to power such as this, but charter after charter during Henry [I]'s reign raised the townsmen of boroughs from mere traders, wholly at the mercy of their lord, into customary tenants, who had purchased their freedom by a fixed rent, regulated their own trade, and enjoyed exemption from all but their own justice.
    3. (obsolete)
      1. To come to or reach a position without moving from one place to another.
        • 1587, Philip of Mornay [i.e., Philippe de Mornay], “That God Gouerneth the World and All Things therein by His Prouidence”, in Philip Sidney, Arthur Golding, transl., A Woorke Concerning the Trewnesse of the Christian Religion, […], London: […] [John Charlewood and] George Robinson for Thomas Cadman, […], →OCLC, page 184:
          Now then, art thou afrayd leaſt God who careth for all things without care, moueth them without touching them, and atteyneth to them without putting himſelf foorth, is not able to wéeld theſe lower things without defyling himſelf by them?
        • 1646, Thomas Browne, “Of the Pictures of Easterne Nations, and the Jews at Their Feasts, Especially Our Saviour at the Passover”, in Pseudodoxia Epidemica: […], London: […] T[homas] H[arper] for Edward Dod, […], →OCLC, 5th book, page 241:
          As for their geſture or poſition, the men lay dovvne [on couches in a triclinium] leaning on their left elbovv, their backe being advanced by ſome pillovv or ſoft ſubſtance; the ſecond lay ſo vvith his backe tovvards the firſt, that his head attained about his boſome, and the reſt in the ſame order: […]
      2. To extend or reach from one position to another; to stretch.
      3. (figurative)
        1. To find out information, knowledge, etc.
        2. To gain a desired result or other objective through effort.
        3. Of a person: to live to a certain age or time.
          • 1535 October 14 (Gregorian calendar), Myles Coverdale, transl., Biblia: The Byble, […] (Coverdale Bible), [Cologne or Marburg]: [Eucharius Cervicornus and Johannes Soter?], →OCLC, IV. Essdras [2 Esdras] xj:[16–17], folio xvi, recto, column 1:
            Heare thou yͭ haſt kepte in the earth ſo lõge [longe], this I ſaye vnto the, before thou begynneſt to appeare nomore: There ſhal none after yͤ atteyne vnto thy tyme.
          • 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Genesis 47:9, signature E3, verso, column 1:
            The dayes of the yeeres of my pilgrimage are an hundred ⁊ thirtie yeres: few and euill haue the dayes of the yeeres of my life bene, and haue not attained vnto the dayes of the yeeres of the life of my fathers, in the dayes of their pilgrimage.
        4. Of a thing: to befall, to happen to someone.
          • 1534 (date written; published 1553), Thomas More, “A Dyalogue of Comforte agaynste Tribulacyon, […]. Chapter III.”, in Wyllyam Rastell [i.e., William Rastell], editor, The Workes of Sir Thomas More Knyght, […], London: […] Iohn Cawod, Iohn Waly, and Richarde Tottell, published 30 April 1557, →OCLC, book III, page 1217, column 1:
            As for the ſoule firſt, we ſhall nede no rehearſal of any harme that by this kinde of tribulacion maye attaine thereto: but if that by ſomme inordinate loue and affectiõ [affection] that the ſoule beare to the body, ſhe conſent to ſlide frõ [from] the faith, and thereby do her harme her ſelfe.

Conjugation

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Conjugation of attain
infinitive (to) attain
present tense past tense
1st-person singular attain attained
2nd-person singular attain, attainest† attained, attainedst†
3rd-person singular attains, attaineth† attained
plural attain
subjunctive attain attained
imperative attain —
participles attaining attained

† Archaic or obsolete.

Derived terms

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Translations

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Noun

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attain (plural attains)

  1. (dated or archaic) Synonym of attainment.
    1. An act of arriving at or reaching; an act of obtaining by effort.
    2. That which is obtained by effort.
      • 1661, Joseph Glanvill, “An Apology for Philosophy”, in The Vanity of Dogmatizing: Or Confidence in Opinions. […], London: […] E. C[otes] for Henry Eversden […], →OCLC, pages 237–238:
        Even Crovvns and Diadems, the moſt ſplendid parts of terrene attains; are akin to that, vvhich to day is in the field, and to morrovv is cut dovvn, and vvither'd: […]

Translations

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References

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  1. ^ “atteinen, v.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007.
  2. ^ “attain, v.”, in OED Online Paid subscription required⁠, Oxford: Oxford University Press, March 2026; “attain, v.”, in Lexico, Dictionary.com; Oxford University Press, 2019–2022.
  3. ^ “attain, n.”, in OED Online Paid subscription required⁠, Oxford: Oxford University Press, September 2023.

Further reading

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Anagrams

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