attain

«attain» in Mova's school dictionary: To reach or achieve a goal, level or result after effort — its meaning for a pupil, its sense in the lessons and examples, with 5 sentences of Mova's corpora that use it.

part of speech

verb (attain, attains, attained, attaining); noun attainment; adjective attainable

meaning for a pupil

1) (formal) To reach or achieve a goal, level or result after effort. tree →

2) (formal) To reach a certain age, size, height or amount. tree →

sense in the lessons

A formal word in school reports and exams («attain level 4», «attainment targets»). In stories and science, reaching a speed, height or age. Phrases: «attain a goal», «attain a grade», «attain a height of».

examples

• She worked hard to attain her goal. tree →
• The rocket attained a speed of 500 metres per second. tree →
• Most pupils attained the expected level. tree →
• The tree can attain a height of 30 metres. tree →
• He attained his black belt in karate. tree →
• The team attained first place. tree →
• I wish to attain the greatest of all happiness." tree →

note

Formal; everyday words: «reach», «get», «achieve». Regular verb. In maths, «attains a maximum» means reaches its biggest value.

In the corpora

• He was most honourable of the three; therefore he was made their captain; howbeit he attained not unto the first three.
• He was more honourable than the thirty, but he attained not to the first three.
• Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; too high, I cannot attain unto it.
• That the wise man may hear, and increase in learning, and the man of understanding may attain unto wise counsels;
• None that go unto her return, neither do they attain unto the paths of life;

Trees and pragmatics

Every meaning and example of «attain» parsed by Mova, each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.