attain
C1Formal to neutral
Definition
Meaning
To succeed in achieving something, especially after effort or time.
To reach or arrive at a particular state, age, or level, either physically or abstractly.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
Often implies effort, skill, or perseverance to reach a desired goal. It focuses on the process of reaching the goal, while "obtain" focuses on getting possession of something.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant difference in core meaning or usage. Spelling and grammar are identical.
Connotations
Slightly more formal in both varieties; equally common in academic and professional contexts.
Frequency
Slightly more frequent in UK academic writing, but overall usage is comparable.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
attain + direct object (goal)attain + to + noun (rare, archaic - e.g., attain to wisdom)Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “Attain one's majority (reach legal adulthood)”
- “Attain to (archaic for reach a state)”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Used for business targets, KPIs, market positions. 'The company hopes to attain a 15% market share.'
Academic
Common in discussing research goals, educational outcomes, skill levels. 'The study attained a high level of statistical significance.'
Everyday
Used for personal goals like fitness, savings, milestones. 'She finally attained her ideal weight.'
Technical
Used in fields like aviation (attain altitude), engineering (attain tolerance), computing (attain state).
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- She hopes to attain a first-class honours degree.
- The climbers attained the summit before noon.
- It is difficult to attain perfection in any craft.
American English
- He attained the rank of Colonel after 20 years of service.
- The team attained its fundraising goal ahead of schedule.
- Few athletes attain such a level of consistency.
adverb
British English
- The goal was attainably set. (rare, from 'attainably')
American English
- The summit is attainably close. (rare)
adjective
British English
- The attainable goal motivated the team. (from derivative 'attainable')
American English
- The attained objectives were listed in the report. (past participle as adjective)
Examples
By CEFR Level
- He worked hard to attain good grades.
- They finally attained their goal of buying a house.
- The athlete attained a personal best in the 100-metre race.
- After years of research, she attained a breakthrough in her field.
- The treaty aimed to attain a delicate balance between the competing powers.
- One must attain a certain level of maturity to fully appreciate this philosophy.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Imagine climbing a mountain to ATTAIN the summit – you must put in effort to REACH the top.
Conceptual Metaphor
GOALS ARE DESTINATIONS (Reach a goal, arrive at a conclusion, journey to success).
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Avoid confusing with 'достигать' in the physical movement sense (use 'reach' for that).
- Not a direct synonym for 'получать' (get/obtain) when no effort is implied.
- Be careful with the preposition. In English, it's 'attain something', not 'attain to something' in modern use.
Common Mistakes
- Using 'attain' for easily gotten items ('I attained a coffee' - incorrect).
- Confusing 'attain' (achieve through effort) with 'obtain' (acquire).
- Using the archaic preposition 'to' unnecessarily ('He attained to fame').
Practice
Quiz
Which sentence uses 'attain' correctly?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
'Attain' emphasizes achieving or reaching something through effort, often an abstract goal (attain success, attain a degree). 'Obtain' means to get or acquire something, often a physical object or piece of information (obtain a passport, obtain data).
In modern English, 'attain' is almost always a transitive verb (attain something). 'Attain to' is an archaic construction (e.g., 'attain to wisdom') and should be avoided in contemporary writing and speech.
It is neutral to formal. It is perfectly acceptable in everyday speech, but it is more common in professional, academic, and written contexts than simpler synonyms like 'get' or 'reach'.
A common mistake is using 'attain' to mean simple physical acquisition ('I attained a new car'), where 'got' or 'bought' is more natural. 'Attain' implies a significant goal has been reached.