To attain something means to succeed in reaching or achieving it through effort. When a gymnast attains a spot on the Olympic team, she has worked for years to reach that goal. When a scientist attains a major breakthrough, he has finally achieved something he's been pursuing.

The word suggests accomplishment that requires real work and persistence. You don't attain things by accident or luck. A student might attain straight A's through consistent studying, or a musician might attain mastery of the violin after thousands of hours of practice.

Attain often appears with goals that take time: attaining success, attaining a skill, attaining a position or rank. Some things in life come easily, but the things worth attaining usually require dedication. When you finally attain something you've worked hard for, whether it's making the soccer team or learning to solve complex math problems, that achievement feels especially meaningful because you earned it.