Attain
What it means
To succeed in reaching a valued goal, standard, or level.
Reach for it when describing an outcome reached through directed effort
The apprentices trained for months to attain the required level of precision.
Words to choose between 7
| everyday | |
|---|---|
| warm | |
| professional | |
| formal |
|
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everyday
Fits when completing a goal is the straightforward point
Careful Achieve suits an accomplishment, while attain more naturally marks a level or state reached.
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everyday
reach
Fits when plain language should emphasize arrival at a target
Careful Reach can describe physical contact or communication without any achievement.
-
warm
earn
Fits when effort or merit justifies the result
Careful Some attainable conditions, such as calm or balance, are reached rather than earned.
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professional
Fits when a defined task has been completed successfully
Careful Accomplish fits work done better than a status or degree gained.
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professional
Fits when skill has reached a high level of control
Careful Master claims thorough command and overstates merely attaining a threshold.
-
professional
Fits when competition or negotiation results in possession
Careful Secure implies obtaining or protecting something, not developing an ability.
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formal
Fits when a plan or aspiration becomes real
Careful Realize is ambiguous because it also means becoming aware.
Opposites 3
- fail
- forfeit
- miss
Common phrases 4
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attain a goal
The group can attain a goal faster when each member owns a clear step.
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attain mastery
Daily deliberate practice helped the violinist attain mastery of the passage.
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attain the standard
Every repaired unit must attain the standard before it returns to service.
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attain independence
Reliable transport helped several residents attain independence.
Definitions and examples are written for this site. How words are chosen Recording: Naomi Persephone Amethyst, American accent, from Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 Updated