attain

verb

(transitive) To gain (an object or desired result).

(transitive) To reach or come to, by progression or motion; to arrive at (a place, time, state, etc.).

(intransitive) To come or arrive, by motion, growth, bodily exertion, or efforts toward a place, object, state, etc.

(transitive, obsolete) To get at the knowledge of.

(transitive, obsolete) To reach in excellence or degree.

(transitive, obsolete) To reach a person after being behind them.

Roots

tango-tain · Latin · touch

Synonyms for attain

achievev reachv accomplishv gainn succeedv fulfillv makev realizev

Synonyms & related words for attain

Find synonyms, related words, and the definition of attain — including achieve, reach, accomplish, gain, succeed, fulfill. Dendril is a free visual thesaurus that shows them on an interactive map where stronger matches sit closer to the center — no signup, no ads.

Words related to attain

Explore words related to attain — words associated with it, words that go with it, and its nearest matches in meaning. Related words include reattain, reattainment, unattained, superachiever, obtain, attainment, attainable, attainability. Click any word to make it the center of the map and keep exploring the web of connections.

Synonyms for attain

Common synonyms for attain include achieve, reach, accomplish, gain, succeed, fulfill, make, realize — words that share a close meaning. Hover or tap any word on the map for its definition and part of speech.

Where does attain come from?

The word attain breaks down into one root of Latin origin: the root -tain, from Latin tango (“touch”). Explore each root to see other English words built from the same source.