To attain (tr. vs intr.)

[suprunp]

American Heritage Dictionary
v. tr.
1. To gain as an objective; achieve:
attain a diploma by hard work.
v. intr.
To succeed in a directed effort, process, or progression:
eventually attained to wisdom. (He who has attained to only some degree of freedom of mind... [I've just read this in one book and it was actually the cause of my posting this question])
Collins
1. (tr) to achieve or accomplish (a task, goal, aim, etc.)
2. (intr; often foll by to) to arrive (at) with effort or exertion

Q: I just can't quite put my finger on the difference between the transitive and intransitive usage of the verb "attain". Can it be that the former lays stress on my achievement/accomplishment of something, whereas the latter accentuates my efforts/energy I had to put in while achieving/accomplishing something?

Thanks.

 

[Tdol]

The example you give sounds strange to me - it could be a BrE/AmE difference - as I would remove of after degree, which would make it transitive.

 

[suprunp]

The example you give sounds strange to me - it could be a BrE/AmE difference - as I would remove of after degree, which would make it transitive.

Would you please write your 'revised sentence' that would sound acceptable to you, because right now I don't see how the verb "attain" can be turned into a transitive one because of removing of after degree.

Thanks.

 

[5jj]

He who has attained [STRIKE]to[/STRIKE] only some degree of freedom of mind..

 

[suprunp]

He who has attained [STRIKE]to[/STRIKE] only some degree of freedom of mind..

Thank you, fivejedjon. But what is the difference between this one and my example? Or is it simply a matter of personal preference?

 

[5jj]

Thank you, fivejedjon. But what is the difference between this one and my example? Or is it simply a matter of personal preference?

The example with 'to' sounds strange to me - as it did to Tdol. My Concise Oxford Dictionary gives a similar example (with 'to), but I have never seen or heard it used.

COCA gives 2251 examples of 'attain', and only 31 of 'attain to'.