Word: attain Part of Speech: verb Etymology: The verb is derived from Middle English atteinen, atteynen (“to achieve, attain; to be adequate or sufficient; to affect; to come or get to (a place), reach; to corrupt, taint; to overcome, overpower; to overtake; to succeed; to tamper with; (law) to bring to justice, punish”), from ataign-, a stem of Anglo-Norman ataindre, and Old French ataindre, attaindre (“to reach”) (modern French atteindre), from Vulgar Latin *attangere, from Latin attingere, the present active infinitive of attingō (“to come into contact with, touch; to affect; to arrive at, reach; etc.”), from ad- (prefix indicating a nearing or reaching) (appearing as at- due to assimilation with the following t, inducing gemination) + tangō (“to grasp, touch; to arrive at, reach; to attain; etc.”) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *teh₂g- (“to grasp; to touch”)). Doublet of attainder and attinge. The noun is derived from the verb. Pronunciation: /əˈteɪn/ 1. To come to or reach (a place) by motion or progression. Labels: transitive Example: Canaan he novv attains, I ſee his Tents / Pitcht about Sechem, and the neighbouring Plaine / Of Moreh; […] Example: Now had they almost attained / The palace portal. 2. To arrive at (a certain age or time, condition or state, etc.); to reach. Labels: figuratively, transitive Example: Night hangs vpon mine eyes, my Bones vvould reſt, / That have but labour'd, to attaine this houre. Example: It has also been aſſerted, by ſome naturaliſts, that men do not attain their full grovvth and ſtrength till thirty; but that vvomen arrive at maturity by tvventy. 3. To gain (a desired result or other objective) through effort; to accomplish, to achieve. Labels: figuratively, transitive Example: To attain such a high level of proficiency requires hours of practice each day. Example: Roſse [William de Ros, 6th Baron Ros]. Your preſence makes Vs rich, moſt noble Lord. / VVil. [William Willoughby, 5th Baron Willoughby de Eresby]. And far ſurmounts our labour to attaine it. 4. To gain possession of (something tangible or intangible) through effort; to acquire, to obtain. Labels: archaic, figuratively, transitive Example: [K]ing Edwarde [IV] returned, and wͭ much leſſe nũber thẽ [number then [than]] he had, at Barnet on theſtre daye felde [the Easter Day field], ſlewe the Erle of warwik [Richard Neville, 16th Earl of Warwick] wͭ many other great eſtates of yͤ partie, ⁊ ſo ſtably attained the crowne againe, that he peaſſybly enioyed it vntil his dieng day: […] Example: [T]hey reported their aduiſe to the kyng exortyng hym to prouyde for his force and ſtrength of men of warre⸝ to atteyne therby the towne of Berwike […] 5. To reach (someone) after being behind them. Labels: obsolete, transitive Example: The Earle finding the Caſtle freed, and the Enemie retired, purſued vvith 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 dovvne before the Caſtle of Aton […] vvhich in a ſmall time hee tooke. 6. To find out (information, knowledge, etc.); to ascertain, to get at. Labels: figuratively, obsolete, transitive Example: [I]t pleaſeth God to diſcouer certayne things to his ſeruantes after this maner at the fyrſte ſpringing vp of the Goſpell: of whiche thyng we may now atteyne manifeſt knowledge by his worde. Example: And yet Maſter [William] Camden, ſometimes acknovvledgeth, ſometimes denieth him for an Engliſh Earle. Not that I accuſe him as inconſtant to himſelf, but ſuſpect my ſelf not vvell attaining his meaning therein. 7. Often followed by to. Labels: archaic, intransitive Example: Then ſayde the children of Joſeph: We ſhal not be able to attayne vnto the mountayne, for there are yron charettes [chariots] amonge all the Cananites, that dwell in the londe of Emek, by whom lyeth Beth Sean and the vyllages therof, and Jeſreal in Emek. Example: And becauſe the hauen was not commodious to winter in, the more part aduiſed to depart thence alſo, if by any meanes they might attaine to Phenice, and there to winter: which is an hauen of Creete, and lieth toward the Southweſt, and Northweſt. 8. Often followed by to. Labels: figuratively, intransitive Example: You may not, perhaps, live to see your trees attain to the dignity of timber—I, nevertheless, approve of your planting, and the disinterested spirit that prompts you to it. 9. Often followed by to. Labels: figuratively, intransitive Example: Such knowlege is to wonderfull ⁊ excellẽt [excellent] for me, I can not atteyne vnto it. Example: Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high, I can not attaine vnto it. 10. Often followed by to. Labels: intransitive, obsolete Example: Now then, art thou afrayd leaſt God who careth for all things without care, moueth them without touching them, and atteyneth to them without putting himſelf foorth, is not able to wéeld theſe lower things without defyling himſelf by them? Example: As for their geſture or poſition, the men lay dovvne [on couches in a triclinium] leaning on their left elbovv, their backe being advanced by ſome pillovv or ſoft ſubſtance; the ſecond lay ſo vvith his backe tovvards the firſt, that his head attained about his boſome, and the reſt in the ſame order: […] 11. Often followed by to. Labels: intransitive, obsolete Example: [S]onne Arthur, you ſhall giue to Perron your wife this night the Charter of her endowrie, wherein is compriſed the land of the Citie of Saintes and of Pois, attaining to the bounds of Gaſgoine. 12. Often followed by to. Labels: figuratively, intransitive, obsolete Example: I ſtudy tyll my braynes ake to ꝑceyue [perceive] this mater but I can nat attayne to it: […] Example: He [Thomas de Littleton] compiled this Booke vvhen hee vvas Iudge, after the fourteenth yeare of the raigne of King E[dward] 4. but the certaine time vve cannot yet attaine vnto, but (as vve conceiue) it vvas not long before his death, […] 13. Often followed by to. Labels: figuratively, intransitive, obsolete Example: [H]e ſent ſtreyght his letters ⁊ his meſſengers in euery place⸝ where as he thought to recouer⸝ or attaigne to haue any company of men of warre. Example: He [John Gregory] attained to be an exquiſite Linguiſt and general Scholar, his modeſty ſetting the greater luſtre on his learning. 14. Often followed by to. Labels: figuratively, intransitive, obsolete Example: Heare thou yͭ haſt kepte in the earth ſo lõge [longe], this I ſaye vnto the, before thou begynneſt to appeare nomore: There ſhal none after yͤ atteyne vnto thy tyme. Example: The dayes of the yeeres of my pilgrimage are an hundred ⁊ thirtie yeres: few and euill haue the dayes of the yeeres of my life bene, and haue not attained vnto the dayes of the yeeres of the life of my fathers, in the dayes of their pilgrimage. 15. Often followed by to. Labels: figuratively, intransitive, obsolete Example: As for the ſoule firſt, we ſhall nede no rehearſal of any harme that by this kinde of tribulacion maye attaine thereto: but if that by ſomme inordinate loue and affectiõ [affection] that the ſoule beare to the body, ſhe conſent to ſlide frõ [from] the faith, and thereby do her harme her ſelfe.