attain

From Anglo-Norman ataindre, from Old French, from Latin attingō.

• IPA^(key): /əˈteɪn/

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• Rhymes: -eɪn

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

1. (transitive) To accomplish; to achieve.

   To attain such a high level of proficiency requires hours of practice each day.

2. To get at the knowledge of; to ascertain.
   • (Can we date this quote?) Fuller

     not well attaining his meaning

3. (transitive) To reach or come to, by progression or motion; to arrive at.
   • (Can we date this quote?) John Milton

     Canaan he now attains.

4. (intransitive) To come or arrive, by motion, growth, bodily exertion, or efforts toward a place, object, state, etc.; to reach.
   • Bible, Psalms cxxxix. 6

     Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high, I can not attain unto it.

   • Bible, Acts xxvii. 12

     if by any means they might attain to Phenice

   • (Can we date this quote?) Sir Walter Scott

     Nor nearer might the dogs attain.

   • (Can we date this quote?) Cowper

     to see your trees attain to the dignity of timber

   • (Can we date this quote?) J. R. Green

     Few boroughs had as yet attained to power such as this.

5. To reach in excellence or degree; to equal.
6. (obsolete) To overtake.

   (Can we find and add a quotation of Francis Bacon to this entry?)

• attainable