v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Attained p. pr. & vb. n. Attaining. ] [ Of. atteinen, atteignen, atainen, OF. ateindre, ataindre, F. atteindre, fr. L. attingere; ad + tangere to touch, reach. See Tangent, and cf. Attinge, Attaint. ] 1. To achieve or accomplish, that is, to reach by efforts; to gain; to compass; as, to attain rest. [ 1913 Webster ]

Is he wise who hopes to attain the end without the means? Abp. Tillotson. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To gain or obtain possession of; to acquire. [ Obs. with a material object. ] Chaucer. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. To get at the knowledge of; to ascertain. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

Not well attaining his meaning. Fuller. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. To reach or come to, by progression or motion; to arrive at. “Canaan he now attains.” Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

5. To overtake. [ Obs. ] Bacon. [ 1913 Webster ]

6. To reach in excellence or degree; to equal. [ 1913 Webster ]

Syn. -- To Attain, Obtain, Procure. Attain always implies an effort toward an object. Hence it is not synonymous with obtain and procure, which do not necessarily imply such effort or motion. We procure or obtain a thing by purchase or loan, and we obtain by inheritance, but we do not attain it by such means. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. Attainment. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

v. i. 1. To come or arrive, by motion, growth, bodily exertion, or efforts toward a place, object, state, etc.; to reach. [ 1913 Webster ]

If by any means they might attain to Phenice. Acts xxvii. 12. [ 1913 Webster ]

Nor nearer might the dogs attain. Sir W. Scott. [ 1913 Webster ]

To see your trees attain to the dignity of timber. Cowper. [ 1913 Webster ]

Few boroughs had as yet attained to power such as this. J. R. Green. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To come or arrive, by an effort of mind. [ 1913 Webster ]

Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high, I can not attain unto it. Ps. cxxxix. 6. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The quality of being attainable; attainableness. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. 1. Capable of being attained or reached by efforts of the mind or body; capable of being compassed or accomplished by efforts directed to the object. [ 1913 Webster ]

The highest pitch of perfection attainable in this life. Addison. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Obtainable. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

General Howe would not permit the purchase of those articles [ clothes and blankets ] in Philadelphia, and they were not attainable in the country. Marshall. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The quality of being attainable; attainability. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ OF. ataindre, ateindre, to accuse, convict. Attainder is often erroneously referred to F. teindre tie stain. See Attaint, Attain. ] 1. The act of attainting, or the state of being attainted; the extinction of the civil rights and capacities of a person, consequent upon sentence of death or outlawry; as, an act of attainder. Abbott. [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ Formerly attainder was the inseparable consequence of a judicial or legislative sentence for treason or felony, and involved the forfeiture of all the real and personal property of the condemned person, and such “corruption of blood” that he could neither receive nor transmit by inheritance, nor could he sue or testify in any court, or claim any legal protection or rights. In England attainders are now abolished, and in the United States the Constitution provides that no bill of attainder shall be passed; and no attainder of treason (in consequence of a judicial sentence) shall work corruption of blood or forfeiture, except during the life of the person attainted. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. A stain or staining; state of being in dishonor or condemnation. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

He lived from all attainder of suspect. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

Bill of attainder, a bill brought into, or passed by, a legislative body, condemning a person to death or outlawry, and attainder, without judicial sentence. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. 1. The act of attaining; the act of arriving at or reaching; hence, the act of obtaining by efforts. [ 1913 Webster ]

The attainment of every desired object. Sir W. Jones. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. That which is attained to, or obtained by exertion; acquirement; acquisition; (pl.), mental acquirements; knowledge; as, literary and scientific attainments. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ OF. attainte. See Attaint, v. ] 1. A touch or hit. Sir W. Scott. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Far.) A blow or wound on the leg of a horse, made by overreaching. White. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. (Law) A writ which lies after judgment, to inquire whether a jury has given a false verdict in any court of record; also, the convicting of the jury so tried. Bouvier. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. A stain or taint; disgrace. See Taint. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

5. An infecting influence. [ R. ] Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

p. p. Attainted; corrupted. [ Obs. ] Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]