Attained — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

verb adjective /ə-ˈtān/ at·tain

Meaning & Definition of Attained

Attained (verb)

  1. to reach as an end, gain, achieve
  2. to come into possession of, obtain
  3. to come to as the end of a progression or course of movement

Attained (adjective) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. as in accomplished, achieved

    similar: accomplished, achieved, compassed, realized, complete, completed, concluded, done, down, ended, finished, over, over with, terminated, through, up, dead, defunct, extinct, kaput, obsolete, expired
    opposite: continuing, incomplete, ongoing, uncompleted, undone, unfinished

Attained (verb) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. to obtain (as a goal) through effort

    "Napoléon had attained mastery of much of Europe at that point"

    similar: achieved, bagged, chalked up, clocked (up) (chiefly British), gained, hit, logged, made, notched (up), racked up, rang up, scored, won
    related: acquired, captured, carried, drew, garnered, got, landed, obtained, procured, realized, secured, amounted (to), approached, equaled, matched, measured up (to), met, rivaled, tied, touched, beat, excelled, outdid, surpassed, topped
    near: fell short (of), missed, failed (at), lost

  2. to receive as return for effort

    "with hard work she will inevitably attain success in her chosen profession"

    similar: acquired, bagged, brought in, came by, captured, carried, drew, earned, gained, garnered, got, knocked down, landed, made, obtained, procured, pulled down, realized, reaped, secured, won
    related: cleared, grossed, netted, accomplished, achieved, notched (up), scored, accumulated, amassed, racked up, caught, picked up, annexed, occupied, took over, reacquired, reattained, recaptured, regained, remade
    opposite: forfeited, lost
    near: accorded, gave, granted, paid, gave up, handed over, parted (with), relinquished, surrendered, yielded

Related Entry: Attain (verb)

Attain is a different word from Attained. The synonyms below are for attain, not for attained.

  1. to obtain (as a goal) through effort

    "Napoléon had attained mastery of much of Europe at that point"

    similar: achieve, bag, chalk up, clock (up) (chiefly British), gain, hit, log, make, notch (up), rack up, ring up, score, win
    related: acquire, capture, carry, draw, garner, get, land, obtain, procure, realize, secure, amount (to), approach, equal, match, measure up (to), meet, rival, tie, touch, beat, excel, outdo, surpass, top
    near: fall short (of), miss, fail (at), lose

  2. to receive as return for effort

    "with hard work she will inevitably attain success in her chosen profession"

    similar: acquire, bag, bring in, capture, carry, come by, draw, earn, gain, garner, get, knock down, land, make, obtain, procure, pull down, realize, reap, secure, win
    related: clear, gross, net, accomplish, achieve, notch (up), score, accumulate, amass, rack up, catch, pick up, annex, occupy, take over, reacquire, reattain, recapture, regain, remake
    opposite: forfeit, lose
    near: accord, give, grant, pay, give up, hand over, part (with), relinquish, surrender, yield

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Attained

The most common words with a similar meaning to Attained:

Chiefly British: clocked (up)
accomplished, achieved, compassed, realized, complete, completed, concluded, done, down, ended, finished, over, over with, terminated, through, up, dead, defunct, extinct, kaput, obsolete, expired, bagged, chalked up, gained, hit, logged, made, notched (up), racked up, rang up, scored, won, acquired, brought in, came by, captured, carried, drew, earned

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Attained

Words with the opposite meaning of Attained:

continuing, incomplete, ongoing, uncompleted, undone, unfinished, forfeited, lost

Related Words for Attained

amounted (to), approached, equaled, matched, measured up (to), met, rivaled, tied, touched, beat, excelled, outdid, surpassed, topped, cleared, grossed, netted, accumulated, amassed, caught, picked up, annexed, occupied, took over, reacquired, reattained, recaptured, regained, remade

Near Antonyms of Attained

fell short (of), missed, failed (at), accorded, gave, granted, paid, gave up, handed over, parted (with), relinquished, surrendered, yielded

Word Forms of Attained

Inflections: attaining, attains

Derived words: attainability (noun), attainable (adjective)

Origin & Etymology of Attained

Middle English atteynen, from Anglo-French ateign-, stem of ateindre to reach, accomplish, convict, from Vulgar Latin *attangere, alteration of Latin attingere, from ad- + tangere to touch tangent:2

First known use: 14th centuryt

Vocabulary Lists & Topics for Attained

Frequently Asked Questions about Attained

What does "Attained" mean?

"Attained" means to reach as an end, gain, achieve. As an a verb and an adjective, it is defined as: to reach as an end, gain, achieve. It has 3 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Attained"?

Other words for "Attained" include accomplished, achieved, compassed, realized, complete, completed, concluded and done. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Attained" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Attained"?

There are 79 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Attained". Common alternatives include accomplished, achieved, compassed, realized, complete, completed, concluded, done, down and ended.

What is the opposite of "Attained"?

Antonyms of "Attained" include continuing, incomplete, ongoing, uncompleted, undone, unfinished, forfeited and lost. Near antonyms include fell short (of), missed, failed (at) and accorded.

How do you use "Attained" in a sentence?

Examples of "Attained" in a sentence: "Napoléon had attained mastery of much of Europe at that point"; "with hard work she will inevitably attain success in her chosen profession".

Is "Attained" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Attained" can be used as a verb and an adjective, depending on the context.

Is "Attained" useful for IELTS, TOEFL, and other English exams?

It is on the Academic Word List, so it appears often in IELTS Academic, TOEFL iBT, PTE Academic, and university texts.

How do you pronounce "Attained"?

"Attained" is pronounced /ə-ˈtān/ and divided into syllables as at·tain.