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Attain
Definitions
- 1 To gain (an object or desired result). transitive
"To attain such a high level of proficiency requires hours of practice each day."
- 2 reach a point in time, or a certain state or level wordnet
- 3 To reach or come to, by progression or motion; to arrive at (a place, time, state, etc.). transitive
"[…] my bones would rest, / That have but labour’d to attain this hour."
- 4 reach a destination, either real or abstract wordnet
- 5 To come or arrive, by motion, growth, bodily exertion, or efforts toward a place, object, state, etc. intransitive
"Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high, I can not attain unto it."
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- 6 find unexpectedly wordnet
- 7 To get at the knowledge of. obsolete, transitive
"[…] Master Camden, sometimes acknowledgeth, sometimes denieth him for an English Earle. Not that I accuse him as inconstant to himself, but suspect my self not well attaining his meaning therein."
- 8 to gain with effort wordnet
- 9 To reach in excellence or degree. obsolete, transitive
"Yet notwithstanding as Those that first bring Honour into their Family, are commonly more worthy, then most that succeed: So the first President (if it be good) is seldome attained by Imitation."
- 10 To reach a person after being behind them. obsolete, transitive
"The Earle finding […] the enemie retired, pursued with all celeritie into Scotland; hoping to haue ouer-taken the Scottish King, and to haue giuen him Battaile; But not attaining him in time, sate downe before the Castle of Aton […] which in a small time hee tooke."
Etymology
From Middle English atteynen, from Anglo-Norman ataindre, from Old French, from Latin attingō. Doublet of attainder and attinge.
See also for "attain"
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