Attain
/əˈteɪn/noun
To succeed in achieving or reaching something after effort.
Did you know?Attain comes through Old French from Latin roots tied to “reaching” or “stretching toward,” and it shares ancient ancestry with words like “tend,” “tender,” and “extend” — all built around the idea of stretching out.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*ten-
“to stretch”
Latin
Latin
tendere
“to stretch, extend, direct oneself toward”
Late Latin
Latin
*attanere
“to reach, attain”
Old French
Old French
ataindre
“to reach, overtake, catch”
Middle English
English
attainen
“to reach, achieve, obtain”
Modern English
English
attain
“to achieve or reach something”