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Attain vs Goal - What's the difference?

attain | goal |

As a verb attain

is to accomplish; to achieve.

As a noun goal is

gaul.

As a proper noun goal is

britain.

attain

English

Verb

(en verb)
  • To accomplish; to achieve.
    • To attain such a high level of proficiency requires hours of practice each day.
  • To get at the knowledge of; to ascertain.
  • * Fuller
    • not well attaining his meaning
  • To reach or come to, by progression or motion; to arrive at.
  • * Milton
    • Canaan he now attains .
  • * Bible, Psalms cxxxix. 6
    • Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high, I can not attain unto it.
  • To come or arrive, by motion, growth, bodily exertion, or efforts toward a place, object, state, etc.; to reach.
  • * Bible, Acts xxvii. 12
    • if by any means they might attain to Phenice
  • * Sir Walter Scott
    • Nor nearer might the dogs attain .
  • * Cowper
    • to see your trees attain to the dignity of timber
  • * J. R. Green
    • Few boroughs had as yet attained to power such as this.
  • To reach in excellence or degree; to equal.
  • (obsolete) To overtake.
    • (Francis Bacon)

    goal

    English

    (wikipedia goal)

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • A result that one is attempting to achieve.
  • * {{quote-magazine, date=2013-11-02, volume=409, issue=8860, magazine=(The Economist)
    • , title= A shrinking slice , passage=The goal should be to strengthen workers without hamstringing firms. Growth, rather than employment protection, is the priority. More work means a stronger labour market, which would bid up employees’ slice, as it did in America in the 1990s when unemployment was at record lows.}}
  • In many sports, an area into which the players attempt to put an object.
  • The act of placing the object into the goal.
  • A point scored in a game as a result of placing the object into the goal.
  • * {{quote-news, year=2011, date=April 15, author=Saj Chowdhury, work=BBC Sport
    • , title= Norwich 2-1 Nott'm Forest , passage=The former Forest man, who passed a late fitness test, appeared to use Guy Moussi for leverage before nodding in David Fox's free-kick at the far post - his 22nd goal of the season.}}
  • A noun or noun phrase that receives the action of a verb. The subject of a passive verb or the direct object of an active verb. Also called a patient, target, or undergoer.

    • Synonyms

    * (a result one is attempting to achieve: ) ambition, object of desire, objective, purpose, aspiration * See also

    Derived terms

    (goal) * goalball * goal difference * goalie * goalkeeper * goalgetter * goalpost * goaltender * goal umpire * golden goal * silver goal * subgoal

    Anagrams

    * ----