0 past simple and past participle of gain --
1 to get something that is useful, that gives you an advantage, or that is in some way positive, especially over a period of time: --
The thieves gained entrance through an upstairs window that was left open.
The data exists all right - the difficulty is in gaining access to it.
She's certainly gained (in) confidence over the last couple of years.
From the late 19th century, European powers began to gain control of parts of the Ottoman Empire.
After you've gained some experience teaching abroad, you can come home and get a job.
[ + two objects ] It was her performances in Aida that gained her an international reputation as a soprano.
Alternative medicine has only just started to gain respectability in our society.
The mayor has gained a lot of support from the teacher's union.
3 If a clock or watch gains, it works too quickly and shows a time that is later than the real time: --
Exactly what could be gained in 1891 by invoking the mid-century?
The majority also agreed that they gained a new appreciation of life and the relationships they had formerly taken for granted.
In this context particular spaces, urban and rural, gained a semi-official designation as arenas within which young men and women could parade and make introductions.
For full benefit to be gained from expert knowledge, elicitation must be conducted carefully and should be reported in detail.
There was more ideological excitement to be gained by fighting for the defence of organized religion against its enemies.
Among the many efficiencies gained in intensive rotationally grazed systems, 60-99% of minerals and nutrients are recoverable14.
Both studies resulted in a slightly lower net cost of screening, a slightly lower number of lifeyears gained, and a slightly lower cost-effectiveness ratio.
By reducing the size of an abstraction, abstract unification works on smaller objects and is therefore faster, even if no precision is gained.
