Adjacent Words

Attain definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

ATTA'IN, v.i. [L. attingo, to reach, come to or overtake; ad and tango, to touch, reach or strike; that is, to thrust, urge or push to. it has no connection with L. attineo. See Class.]
1. To reach; to come to or arrive at, by motion, bodily exertion, or efforts towards a place or object.
If by any means they might attain to Phenice. Acts 28.
2. To reach; to come to or arrive at, by an effort of mind.
Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high; I cannot attain to it. Psalms 139.
Regularly this verb should be always followed by to; the omission of to, and the use of the verb, in a transitive sense, may have originated in mistake, from the opinion that the verb is from the L. attineo, and equivalent to obtain.
ATTA'IN, v.t.
1. To gain; to compass; to achieve or accomplish, that is, to reach by efforts; without to following.
Is he wise who hopes to attain the end without the means?
This use of the verb is now established; but in strictness to is here implied; attain to the end. The real sense, as in the intransitive use of the verb is, to reach or come to the end or purpose in view. This word always implies an effort towards an object. Hence it is not synonymous with obtain and procure, which do not necessarily imply such effort. We procure or obtain a thing by purchase or loan, and we obtain by inheritance, but we do not attain it by such means. An inattention to this distinction has led good authors into great mistakes in the use of this word.
2. To reach or come to a place or object by progression or motion.
But ere such tidings shall his ears attain.
Canaan he now attains.
3. To reach in excellence or degree; to equal.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

v
1: to gain with effort; "she achieved her goal despite setbacks" [syn: achieve, accomplish, attain, reach]
2: reach a point in time, or a certain state or level; "The thermometer hit 100 degrees"; "This car can reach a speed of 140 miles per hour" [syn: reach, hit, attain]
3: find unexpectedly; "the archeologists chanced upon an old tomb"; "she struck a goldmine"; "The hikers finally struck the main path to the lake" [syn: fall upon, strike, come upon, light upon, chance upon, come across, chance on, happen upon, attain, discover]
4: reach a destination, either real or abstract; "We hit Detroit by noon"; "The water reached the doorstep"; "We barely made it to the finish line"; "I have to hit the MAC machine before the weekend starts" [syn: reach, make, attain, hit, arrive at, gain]

Merriam Webster's

verb Etymology: Middle English atteynen, from Anglo-French ateign-, stem of ateindre to reach, accomplish, convict, from Vulgar Latin *attangere, alteration of Latin attingere, from ad- + tangere to touch — more at tangent Date: 14th century transitive verb 1. to reach as an end ; gain, achieve <attain a goal> 2. to come into possession of ; obtain <he attained preferment over his fellows> 3. to come to as the end of a progression or course of movement <they attained the top of the hill> <attain a ripe old age> intransitive verb to come or arrive by motion, growth, or effort — usually used with to • attainability noun • attainable adjective

Oxford Reference Dictionary

v. 1 tr. arrive at; reach (a goal etc.). 2 tr. gain, accomplish (an aim, distinction, etc.). 3 intr. (foll. by to) arrive at by conscious development or effort. Derivatives: attainable adj. attainability n. attainableness n. Etymology: ME f. AF atain-, atein-, OF ataign- stem of ataindre f. L attingere (as AD-, tangere touch)

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Attain At*tain", v. i. 1. To come or arrive, by motion, growth, bodily exertion, or efforts toward a place, object, state, etc.; to reach. If by any means they might attain to Phenice. --Acts xxvii. 12. Nor nearer might the dogs attain. --Sir W. Scott. To see your trees attain to the dignity of timber. --Cowper. Few boroughs had as yet attained to power such as this. --J. R. Green. 2. To come or arrive, by an effort of mind. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high, I can not attain unto it. --Ps. cxxxix. 6.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Attain At*tain" ([a^]t*t[=a]n"), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Attained (-t[=a]nd"); p. pr. & vb. n. Attaining.] [Of. atteinen, atteignen, atainen, OF. ateindre, ataindre, F. atteindre, fr. L. attingere; ad + tangere to touch, reach. See Tangent, and cf. Attinge, Attaint.] 1. To achieve or accomplish, that is, to reach by efforts; to gain; to compass; as, to attain rest. Is he wise who hopes to attain the end without the means? --Abp. Tillotson. 2. To gain or obtain possession of; to acquire. [Obs. with a material object.] --Chaucer. 3. To get at the knowledge of; to ascertain. [Obs.] Not well attaining his meaning. --Fuller. 4. To reach or come to, by progression or motion; to arrive at. ``Canaan he now attains.'' --Milton. 5. To overtake. [Obs.] --Bacon. 6. To reach in excellence or degree; to equal. Syn: To Attain, Obtain, Procure. Usage: Attain always implies an effort toward an object. Hence it is not synonymous with obtain and procure, which do not necessarily imply such effort or motion. We procure or obtain a thing by purchase or loan, and we obtain by inheritance, but we do not attain it by such means.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Attain At*tain", n. Attainment. [Obs.]

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

(attains, attaining, attained) 1. If you attain something, you gain it or achieve it, often after a lot of effort. (FORMAL) Jim is halfway to attaining his pilot's licence. VERB: V n 2. If you attain a particular state or condition, you may reach it as a result of natural development or work hard to attain this state. ...attaining a state of calmness and confidence. VERB: V n, also V to n

International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

a-tan': The rendering of qanah = "buy," "get" (Pr 1:5); nasagh= "reach," "a meal-offering .... according as he is able" (Eze 46:7 margin), "not attained unto the days" (Ge 47:9); yakhol or yakhowl ="be able," "overcome," "attain to innocency" (Ho 8:5); bo' = "come," "follow" (2Sa 23:19,23; 1Ch 11:21,25); katantao="arrive at" (Ac 27:12 the King James Version; Php 3:11); katalambano ="take eagerly," "seize," "apprehend," "attained to righteousness" (Ro 9:30); phthano ="have arrived at" (Ro 9:31 the King James Version; Php 3:16); lambano -"take," "get a hold of," "catch," the Revised Version (British and American) "already obtained" (Php 3:12); parakoloutheo = "follow," "trace out," "conform to" (1Ti 4:6). Here the Revised Version (British and American) corrects the King James Version.

Frank E. Hirsch

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

v. a. 1. Procure (by effort), acquire, get, obtain, gain, win, secure, achieve, compass, accomplish, effect. 2. Reach, arrive at, come to, attain to.

Moby Thesaurus

accede, accomplish, achieve, approach, arrive, arrive at, arrive in, attain to, be instated, be received, blow in, bob up, check in, clock in, come, come in, come to, come to hand, compass, consummate, deal with, discharge, dispatch, dispose of, do, do the job, do the trick, effect, effectuate, enact, execute, fetch, fetch up at, find, fulfill, gain, get in, get there, get to, hit, hit town, knock off, make, make good, make it, manage, mount the throne, perform, polish off, pop up, produce, pull in, punch in, put away, reach, realize, ring in, roll in, score, show up, sign in, succeed, take care of, take office, time in, turn the trick, turn up, win, work, work out