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Attained vs Acquired - What's the difference?

attained | acquired |

As verbs the difference between attained and acquired

is that attained is (attain) while acquired is (acquire).

As an adjective acquired is

(medicine) developed postfetally; not congenital.

attained

English

Verb

(head)
  • (attain)

  • 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)

    acquired

    English

    Verb

    (head)
  • (acquire)
  • Adjective

    (-)
  • (medicine) Developed postfetally; not congenital.