attain vs obtain

attain

Definitions

verb

  1. to gain with effort
  2. find unexpectedly
  3. reach a point in time, or a certain state or level
  4. reach a destination, either real or abstract

Examples

But freshman composition, like the writing test, assumed a level of competency that few of these students had attained.

But freshman composition, like the writing test, assumed a level of competency that few of these students had attained.

Could the hearts of kings and the counsels of cabinets be known with that literal exactness which is so desirable in politics, and yet so unattainable, we should probably find that Prussia's apparent readiness to lead Germany was owing to her determination that German armies should be led nowhere to the assistance of Austria.

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obtain

Definitions

verb

  1. be valid, applicable, or true
  2. come into possession of
  3. receive a specified treatment (abstract)

Examples

But for the watermark, the thickness of the paper and the missing security thread, the note, reportedly obtained from a private bank, looked like genuine currency for all practical purposes.

This can often create a lot of noise, reducing the quality of image obtainable.

In the toad and in the dog, adrenalectomy diminishes but does not suppress the diabetogenic effect of the anterior lobe extract, which can be obtained in adrenalectomized dogs, in which the pancreas has been surgically reduced, and which are kept alive by treatment with desoxycorticosterone and salt or even with sodium chloride alone.

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