attain

Definitions

1. 1.To gain or obtain possession of; to acquire. [Obs. with a material object.] Chaucer.
2. 2.To get at the knowledge of; to ascertain. [Obs.] Not well attaining his meaning. Fuller.
3. 3.To reach or come to, by progression or motion; to arrive at. "Canaan he now attains." Milton.
4. 4.To overtake. [Obs.] Bacon.
5. 5.To reach in excellence or degree; to equal. 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.
6. 6.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.
7. 7.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.
8. 8.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.
9. 9.Attainment. [Obs.]

Source: Webster's Unabridged Dictionary, 1913 edition (public domain, via GCIDE / Project Gutenberg).

Synonyms

Related questions

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Reverse-dictionary questions

Definition-first questions whose answer is attain.

• What is to gain or obtain possession of; to acquire. [Obs. with a material object.] Chaucer called?
• What is to get at the knowledge of; to ascertain. [Obs.] Not well attaining his meaning. Fuller called?
• What is to reach or come to, by progression or motion; to arrive at. "Canaan he now attains." Milton called?
• What is 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 called?
• What is 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 called?
• What is 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 called?