What does attainment mean?
Attainment is a formal noun denoting the achievement of a goal, level, or standard, whether as a process ("the attainment of peace") or as a result ("her intellectual attainments"). Derived from the verb attain, which comes from Old French ataindre and ultimately from Latin attingere, meaning "to reach" or "to touch," the word carries connotations of deliberate effort and sustained striving rather than luck or windfall gain. It is especially frequent in educational and sociological writing, where phrases like "educational attainment" measure levels of schooling completed, and it appears in legal and political prose for objectives reached over time. Used chiefly in formal registers, it can refer both to intangible successes and to acquired skills, making it a precise alternative to looser words like success or achievement.
The action or fact of achieving or reaching a goal, level, or standard.
"The treaty marked the attainment of a long-sought diplomatic objective."
Often followed by an of-phrase naming the goal.
A thing achieved; an accomplishment or skill acquired through effort.
"Among her many attainments was a rare command of classical Greek."
Usually plural when referring to specific accomplishments; somewhat literary.
The plural typically denotes individual accomplishments, skills, or acquisitions rather than the general act of achieving.
"Despite limited formal schooling, his attainments in engineering were considerable."
"Attainment" traces back to the same ancient root as "touch" — to reach a goal is, quite literally, to touch it.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of attainment
Attainment derives from the verb attain, borrowed into Middle English from Old French ataindre, itself from Latin attingere, formed from ad- ("toward") plus tangere ("to touch"). The noun took the common -ment suffix used to form nouns of action or result. Its Latin root also yields English cognates such as contain, maintain, obtain, and continent.
How attainment is actually used
Formal register, common in academic, legal, and official contexts such as "educational attainment." The plural often refers to specific accomplishments rather than the general process.
Easily confused with attainment
Obtainment is the act of getting something (often tangible), whereas attainment emphasizes achieving a goal or level through sustained effort.
Acquisition stresses the gaining of possession of something, while attainment stresses reaching an objective or standard.