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Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1) - Cite This Source - Share This

at·tain

Audio Help [uh-teyn] Pronunciation Key

–verb (used with object)

1.	to reach, achieve, or accomplish; gain; obtain: to attain one's goals.

2.	to come to or arrive at, esp. after some labor or tedium; reach: to attain the age of 96; to attain the mountain peak.

–verb (used without object)

3.	to arrive at or succeed in reaching or obtaining something (usually fol. by to or unto): to attain to knowledge.

4.	to reach in the course of development or growth: These trees attain to remarkable height.

[Origin: 1300–50; ME atei(g)nen < AF, OF ateign- (s. of ateindre) < VL *attangere (for L attingere), equiv. to L at- at- + tangere to touch

]

—Related forms

at·tain·er, noun

—Synonyms 1. secure. See gain¹.

—Antonyms 1, 2. miss.

Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1)
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2006.

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.
Attain

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American Heritage Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

at·tain Audio Help   (ə-tān') Pronunciation Key
v.   at·tained, at·tain·ing, at·tains

v.   tr.

To gain as an objective; achieve: attain a diploma by hard work.
To arrive at, as by virtue of persistence or the passage of time. See Synonyms at reach.

v. intr.
To succeed in a directed effort, process, or progression: attained to high office; eventually attained to wisdom.

[Middle English atteignen, from Old French ataindre, ataign-, to reach to, from Vulgar Latin *attangere, from Latin attingere : ad-, ad- + tangere, to touch; see tag- in Indo-European roots.]

at·tain'a·bil'i·ty, at·tain'a·ble·ness n., at·tain'a·ble adj.

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The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2006 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.

Online Etymology Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This
attain

c.1300, "to succeed in reaching," from stem of O.Fr. ataindre, from L. attingere "to touch, to arrive at," from ad- "to" + tangere "to touch" (see tangent). Attainment "personal accomplishment" is from 1680.

WordNet - Cite This Source - Share This

attain
verb
1.	to gain with effort; "she achieved her goal despite setbacks" [syn: achieve]
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]
3.	find unexpectedly; "the archeologists chanced upon an old tomb"; "she struck a goldmine"; "The hikers finally struck the main path to the lake"
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]

Kernerman English Multilingual Dictionary (Beta Version) - Cite This Source - Share This
attain [əˈtein] verb

to gain; to achieve
Example: He attained all his ambitions.

Arabic:	يَنال، يَبْلُغ، يُحَقِّق
Chinese (Simplified):	获得，达到
Chinese (Traditional):	獲得，達到
Czech:	dosáhnout
Danish:	opnå
Dutch:	bereiken
Estonian:	saavutama
Finnish:	saavuttaa
French:	atteindre, réaliser
German:	erreichen
Greek:	κατορθώνω, αποκτώ, πραγματοποιώ
Hungarian:	elér
Icelandic:	ná, öðlast
Indonesian:	mencapai
Italian:	realizzare, raggiungere

Japanese:	成し遂げる
Korean:	이르다; 달성하다
Latvian:	sasniegt; iegūt
Lithuanian:	pasiekti
Norwegian:	(opp)nå
Polish:	osiągnąć
Portuguese (Brazil):	atingir
Portuguese (Portugal):	atingir
Romanian:	a(-şi) realiza, a atinge
Russian:	достигать
Slovak:	dosiahnuť
Slovenian:	doseči; uresničiti
Spanish:	conseguir, alcanzar, lograr
Swedish:	uppnå, vinna
Turkish:	ulaşmak, erişmek

Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

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 Revised Unabridged Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

Attain

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.

Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

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 Revised Unabridged Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

Attain

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

Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

Attain

At*tain"der\, n. [OF. ataindre, ateindre, to accuse, convict. Attainder is often erroneously referred to F. teindre tie stain. See Attaint, Attain.]

1. The act of attainting, or the state of being attainted; the extinction of the civil rights and capacities of a person, consequent upon sentence of death or outlawry; as, an act of attainder. --Abbott.

Note: Formerly attainder was the inseparable consequence of a judicial or legislative sentence for treason or felony, and involved the forfeiture of all the real and personal property of the condemned person, and such "corruption of blood" that he could neither receive nor transmit by inheritance, nor could he sue or testify in any court, or claim any legal protection or rights. In England attainders are now abolished, and in the United States the Constitution provides that no bill of attainder shall be passed; and no attainder of treason (in consequence of a judicial sentence) shall work corruption of blood or forfeiture, except during the life of the person attainted.

2. A stain or staining; state of being in dishonor or condemnation. [Obs.]

He lived from all attainder of suspect. --Shak.

Bill of attainder, a bill brought into, or passed by, a legislative body, condemning a person to death or outlawry, and attainder, without judicial sentence.

Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

Attain

At*taint"\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Attainted; p. pr. & vb. n. Attainting.] [OE. atteynten to convict, fr. atteynt, OF. ateint, p. p. of ateindre, ataindre. The meanings 3, 4, 5, and 6 were influenced by a supposed connection with taint. See Attain, Attainder.]

1. To attain; to get act; to hit. [Obs.]

2. (Old Law) To find guilty; to convict; -- said esp. of a jury on trial for giving a false verdict. [Obs.]

Upon sufficient proof attainted of some open act by men of his own condition. --Blackstone.

3. (Law) To subject (a person) to the legal condition formerly resulting from a sentence of death or outlawry, pronounced in respect of treason or felony; to affect by attainder.

No person shall be attainted of high treason where corruption of blood is incurred, but by the oath of two witnesses. --Stat. 7 & 8 Wm. III.

4. To accuse; to charge with a crime or a dishonorable act. [Archaic]

5. To affect or infect, as with physical or mental disease or with moral contagion; to taint or corrupt.

My tender youth was never yet attaint With any passion of inflaming love. --Shak.

6. To stain; to obscure; to sully; to disgrace; to cloud with infamy.

For so exceeding shone his glistring ray, That Ph?bus' golden face it did attaint. --Spenser.

Lest she with blame her honor should attaint. --Spenser.

Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

Attain

At*tig"u*ous\, a. [L. attiguus, fr. attingere to touch. See Attain.] Touching; bordering; contiguous. [Obs.] -- At*tig"u*ous*ness, n. [Obs.]

Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

Attain

At*tinge"\, v. t. [L. attingere to touch. See Attain.] To touch lightly. [Obs.] --Coles.

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Attain

Ob*tain"\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Obtained; p. pr. & vb. n. Obtaining.] [F. obtenir, L. obtinere; ob (see Ob-) + tenere to hold. See Tenable.]

1. To hold; to keep; to possess. [Obs.]

His mother, then, is mortal, but his Sire He who obtains the monarchy of heaven. --Milton.

2. To get hold of by effort; to gain possession of; to procure; to acquire, in any way.

Some pray for riches; riches they obtain. --Dryden.

By guileful fair words peace may be obtained. --Shak.

It may be that I may obtain children by her. --Gen. xvi. 2.

Syn: To attain; gain; procure; acquire; win; earn.

Usage: See Attain. -- To Obtain, Get, Gain, Earn, Acquire. The idea of getting is common to all these terms. We may, indeed, with only a slight change of sense, substitute get for either of them; as, to get or to gain a prize; to get or to obtain an employment; to get or to earn a living; to get or to acquire a language. To gain is to get by striving; and as this is often a part of our good fortune, the word gain is peculiarly applicable to whatever comes to us fortuitously. Thus, we gain a victory, we gain a cause, we gain an advantage, etc. To earn is to deserve by labor or service; as, to earn good wages; to earn a triumph. Unfortunately, one does not always get or obtain what he has earned. To obtain implies desire for possession, and some effort directed to the attainment of that which is not immediately within our reach. Whatever we thus seek and get, we obtain, whether by our own exertions or those of others; whether by good or bad means; whether permanently, or only for a time. Thus, a man obtains an employment; he obtains an answer to a letter, etc. To acquire is more limited and specific. We acquire what comes to us gradually in the regular exercise of our abilities, while we obtain what comes in any way, provided we desire it. Thus, we acquire knowledge, property, honor, reputation, etc. What we acquire becomes, to a great extent, permanently our own; as, to acquire a language; to acquire habits of industry, etc.

Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

Attain

Pro*cure"\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Procured; p. pr. & vb. n. Procuring.] [F. procurer, L. procurare, procuratum, to take care of; pro for + curare to take care, fr. cura care. See Cure, and cf. Proctor, Proxy.]

1. To bring into possession; to cause to accrue to, or to come into possession of; to acquire or provide for one's self or for another; to gain; to get; to obtain by any means, as by purchase or loan.

If we procure not to ourselves more woe. --Milton.

2. To contrive; to bring about; to effect; to cause.

By all means possible they procure to have gold and silver among them in reproach. --Robynson (More's Utopia) .

Proceed, Solinus, to procure my fall. --Shak.

3. To solicit; to entreat. [Obs.]

The famous Briton prince and faery knight, . . . Of the fair Alma greatly were procured To make there longer sojourn and abode. --Spenser.

4. To cause to come; to bring; to attract. [Obs.]

What unaccustomed cause procures her hither? --Shak.

5. To obtain for illicit intercourse or prostitution.

Syn: See Attain.

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Attain

Tan"gent\, n. [L. tangens, -entis, p. pr. of tangere to touch; akin to Gr. ? having seized: cf. F. tangente. Cf. Attain, Contaminate, Contingent, Entire, Tact, Taste, Tax, v. t.] (Geom.) A tangent line curve, or surface; specifically, that portion of the straight line tangent to a curve that is between the point of tangency and a given line, the given line being, for example, the axis of abscissas, or a radius of a circle produced. See Trigonometrical function, under Function.

Artificial, or Logarithmic, tangent, the logarithm of the natural tangent of an arc.

Natural tangent, a decimal expressing the length of the tangent of an arc, the radius being reckoned unity.

Tangent galvanometer (Elec.), a form of galvanometer having a circular coil and a short needle, in which the tangent of the angle of deflection of the needle is proportional to the strength of the current.

Tangent of an angle, the natural tangent of the arc subtending or measuring the angle.

Tangent of an arc, a right line, as ta, touching the arc of a circle at one extremity a, and terminated by a line ct, passing from the center through the other extremity o.

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