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attain

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary

English

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Etymology

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FromMiddle Englishatteynen, fromAnglo-Normanataindre, fromOld French, fromLatinattingō.Doublet ofattainder andattinge.

Pronunciation

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IPA^(key): /əˈteɪn/
Audio(General American): (file)
Audio(US): (file)
Rhymes:-eɪn

Verb

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attain (third-person singular simple presentattains,present participleattaining,simple past and past participleattained)

(transitive) Togain (an object or desired result).
Synonyms:accomplish,achieve,get
Toattain such a high level of proficiency requires hours of practice each day.
- 1595 December 9 (first known performance),William Shakespeare, “The Life and Death of King Richard the Second”, inMr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies: Published According to the True Originall Copies (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, andEd[ward] Blount, published1623,→OCLC,[Act II, scene iii]:
  Lord Ross. Your presence makes us rich, most noble lord. /Lord Willoughby. And far surmounts our labour toattain it.
- 1847 January –1848 July,William Makepeace Thackeray, chapter 63, inVanity Fair […], London:Bradbury and Evans […], published1848,→OCLC,page572:
  […] he will stick at no falsehood, or hesitate at no crime, toattain his ends.
- 1885,W[illiam] S[chwenck] Gilbert;Arthur Sullivan, composer, chapter I, in […] The Mikado; or, The Town of Titipu, London:Chappel & Co., […],→OCLC, Act I,page 6:
  […] that’s the highest rank a citizen canattain!
- 1937,George Orwell,The Road to Wigan Pier‎^[1], New York: Harcourt, Brace, published1958, Part 1, Chapter 5, p. 82:
  [S]olitude is never easy toattain in a working-class home
- 1964 July, S. W. Smart, “The Southern needs no centralised Control”, inModern Railways, page50:
  But an absolutely right time arrival of all trains on the same day is neverattained.
- 2007,Mohsin Hamid, chapter 11, inThe Reluctant Fundamentalist‎^[2], Orlando: Harcourt, page157:
  Where else could I[…] hope toattain such an impressive income?
(transitive) Toreach orcome to, byprogression ormotion; toarrive at (a place, time, state, etc.).
- 1599 (first performance),William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Iulius Cæsar”, inMr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, andEd[ward] Blount, published1623,→OCLC,[Act V, scene v]:
  […] my bones would rest, / That have but labour’d toattain this hour.
- 1667,John Milton, “Book X”, inParadise Lost. […], London: […] [Samuel Simmons], and are to be sold by Peter Parker […];[a]nd by Robert Boulter […];[a]nd Matthias Walker, […],→OCLC; republished asParadise Lost in Ten Books: […], London: Basil Montagu Pickering […],1873,→OCLC, line1026:
  Canaan he nowattains,
- 1791 (date written),Mary Wollstonecraft, “Observations on the State of Degradation to which Woman is Reduced by Various Causes”, inA Vindication of the Rights of Woman: With Strictures on Political and Moral Subjects, London: […] J[oseph] Johnson, […], published1792,→OCLC,page150:
  It has also been asserted, by some naturalists, that men do notattain their full growth and strength till thirty; but that women arrive at maturity by twenty.
- 1816 June –1817 April/May (date written), [Mary Shelley], chapter III, inFrankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus. […], volume I, London: […] [Macdonald and Son] for Lackington, Hughes, Harding, Mavor, & Jones, published 1 January 1818,→OCLC:
  the southern gales[…] blow us speedily towards those shores which I so ardently desire toattain
(intransitive) Tocome or arrive, by motion,growth, bodilyexertion, orefforts toward a place, object, state, etc.
Synonyms:get,reach
- 1611,The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […],→OCLC,Psalm 139:6:
  Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high, I can notattain unto it.
- 1611,The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […],→OCLC,Acts 27:12:
  if by any means they mightattain to Phenice
- 1782,William Cowper, letter to Joseph Hill dated 11 November, 1782, inPrivate Correspondence of William Cowper, London: Henry Colburn, 1824, Volume 1, p. 222,^[3]
  You may not, perhaps, live to see your treesattain to the dignity of timber—I, nevertheless, approve of your planting, and the disinterested spirit that prompts you to it.
- 1810,Walter Scott, “Canto I. The Chase.”, inThe Lady of the Lake; […], Edinburgh: […] [James Ballantyne and Co.] forJohn Ballantyne and Co.; London:Longman, Hurst, Rees, and Orme, andWilliam Miller,→OCLC, stanza VII,page10:
  For, scarce a spear’s length from his haunch, / Vindictive toiled the blood-hounds staunch; / Nor nearer might the dogsattain, / Nor farther might the quarry strain.
- 1874,John Richard Green,A Short History of the English People‎^[4], London: Macmillan, Chapter 2, Section 6, p. 90:
  Few boroughs had as yetattained to power such as this,
(transitive, obsolete) Toget at the knowledge of.
Synonym:ascertain
- 1655,Thomas Fuller, “Section II”, inThe Church-history of Britain; […], London: […] Iohn Williams […],→OCLC,(please specify |book=I to XI):
  […] MasterCamden, sometimesacknowledgeth, sometimesdenieth him for anEnglish Earle. Not that I accuse him as inconstant to himself, but suspect my self not wellattaining his meaning therein.
(transitive, obsolete) To reach inexcellence ordegree.
Synonym:equal
- 1625,Francis [Bacon], “Of Innovations”, inThe Essayes […], 3rd edition, London: […] Iohn Haviland for Hanna Barret,→OCLC,page139:
  Yet notwithstanding as Those that first bring Honour into their Family, are commonly more worthy, then most that succeed: So the firstPresident (if it be good) is seldomeattained by Imitation.
(transitive, obsolete) To reach a person after beingbehind them.
Synonyms:catch up with,overtake
- 1622, Francis, Lord Verulam, Viscount St. Alban [i.e.Francis Bacon],The Historie of the Raigne of King Henry the Seventh, […], London: […] W[illiam] Stansby for Matthew Lownes, and William Barret,→OCLC,page page-174:
  TheEarle finding[…] the enemie retired, pursued with all celeritie intoScotland; hoping to haue ouer-taken theScottish King, and to haue giuen him Battaile; But notattaining him in time, sate downe before theCastle ofAton[…] which in a small time hee tooke.