attain

attain — verb

1. to manage to get something you have worked hard for over a long time, such as a

1.verbtransitiveC1
Definition

to manage to get something you have worked hard for over a long time, such as a qualification, position, or important goal.

Example

After ten years of training, Mei finally attained the rank of black belt in karate.

attain + [rank/position] noun phrase

Few students attain such high marks in the national chemistry exam.

attain + [marks/score] noun

Common collocations
  • attain a goal
  • attain a standard
  • attain success
  • attain enlightenment
  • attain a qualification
Synonyms
  • achieve

    more neutral and far more common in everyday writing

  • accomplish

    stresses completing a difficult task rather than gaining a status

  • obtain

    focuses on getting something concrete; less about long effort

Antonyms
  • fail

    to not reach the goal or standard one was aiming for

  • miss

    informal counterpart for falling short of a target

Grammar Patterns

attain + noun

Usage Note

Formal register; sounds stiff in everyday speech. Object is usually something seen as valuable or earned through effort: a goal, qualification, rank, standard, or recognition. Distinguish from sense 2, which simply marks reaching a point of age or level without the idea of struggle.

Common Mistakes

I attained the bus just before it left.
I caught the bus just before it left.
'attain' is not used for physically reaching a vehicle or place; use 'catch' or 'reach'.
She attained to her dream of becoming a doctor.
She attained her dream of becoming a doctor.
in modern English 'attain' is transitive and takes a direct object, not 'attain to'.

2. to arrive at a certain point in age, speed, or condition over time, through grow

2.verbtransitiveC1
Definition

to arrive at a certain point in age, speed, or condition over time, through growth or gradual development.

Example

Sea turtles can attain an age of more than eighty years in the wild.

attain + an age of [number]

On the test track, the new electric car attained a top speed of 250 kilometres per hour.

attain + a [top] speed of

Common collocations
  • attain the age of
  • attain a top speed of
  • attain a level of
  • attain a state of
Synonyms
  • reach

    the everyday equivalent; works in spoken and written English

  • arrive at

    used for both points in time and stages of thinking

  • achieve

    fits with levels and standards, less natural with ages

Grammar Patterns

attain + [age/level/state] noun

Usage Note

Subject is typically a living thing, vehicle, or system that develops or moves toward a measurable point. Common in scientific, legal, and technical writing. Unlike sense 1, this sense does not imply struggle or worthy effort, only that a level or stage has been reached.

Common Mistakes

The plane attained at the airport on time.
The plane arrived at the airport on time.
'attain' is not used for arriving at a place; use 'arrive' or 'reach'.
He attained twenty years old last week.
He turned twenty last week.' / 'He attained the age of twenty last week.
in everyday speech use 'turn'; 'attain' needs the formal pattern 'attain the age of X'.

Word family

  • attainment
    nounC2
  • attainable
    adjectiveC1
  • unattainable
    adjectiveC1

Synonym discussion

Sense: verb/1

All five words describe getting something you wanted, but they differ in tone and focus. 'Attain' is the most formal and suggests slow, sustained effort toward something valued, such as a rank, standard, or qualification — common in legal, academic, and ceremonial writing. 'Achieve' is the everyday neutral choice for goals and successes, fitting both speech and writing. 'Accomplish' highlights finishing a specific challenging task rather than rising to a status. 'Obtain' is plain and transactional: it points to getting hold of a concrete thing, like a permit or a copy. 'Reach' overlaps with attain in sense 2, focusing on hitting a measurable point. Compare: 'She attained the rank of professor' (formal, hard-won) vs 'She achieved her goal' (neutral) vs 'He obtained a visa' (got the document).

attain ↗achieve ↗accomplish ↗obtain ↗reach ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

  • finally attain
  • eventually attain
  • successfully attain
  • rarely attain

Phrases

  • attain a goal
  • attain the age of
  • attain a high standard
  • attain a top speed of

Prepositions

  • attain through (effort/practice)
  • attain by (working hard)

Etymology

LatinOld FrenchMiddle EnglishEnglish

Attain entered English in the early 1300s from Old French 'ataindre', meaning to reach or come up to, which in turn came from Latin 'attingere'. The Latin verb is built from 'ad-' (to, toward) and 'tangere' (to touch) — the literal idea was 'to touch on' or 'arrive at'. From this physical meaning of reaching a place, the word later took on the figurative senses of reaching an age, a level, or a goal earned through effort, which are the meanings most common in modern English.