obtain
Americanverb (used with object)
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obtains,
present (3rd person singular)
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obtained,
past participle, past
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obtaining
present participle
verb (used without object)
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obtains,
present (3rd person singular)
-
obtained,
past participle, past
-
obtaining
present participle
-
to be prevalent, customary, or in vogue; prevail.
the morals that obtained in Rome.
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Archaic. to succeed.
verb
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(tr) to gain possession of; acquire; get
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(intr) to be customary, valid, or accepted
a new law obtains in this case
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archaic (tr) to arrive at
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archaic (intr) to win a victory; succeed
Synonym Usage
See get.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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obtainabilitynoun
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obtainernoun
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obtainmentnoun
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preobtainverb (used with object)
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reobtainverb (used with object)
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obtainableadjective
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preobtainableadjective
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reobtainableadjective
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unobtainableadjective
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unobtainedadjective
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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obtainsimple
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obtainssimple
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have obtainedperfect
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has obtainedperfect
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am obtainingprogressive
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are obtainingprogressive
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is obtainingprogressive
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have been obtainingperfect progressive
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has been obtainingperfect progressive
Past
-
obtainedsimple
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had obtainedperfect
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was obtainingprogressive
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were obtainingprogressive
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had been obtainingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of obtain
First recorded in 1375–1425; late Middle English obteinen, from Middle French obtenir, from Latin obtinēre “to take hold of,” equivalent to ob- ob- ( def. ) + -tinēre, combining form of tenēre “to hold”
Explanation
Obtain means to get something that is not so easy to come by such as knowledge, rights, or a large amount of money. You wouldn't say you obtained a pair of pants, unless they were one of a kind. At times in its history, obtain has meant to be victorious or to succeed. Today, it mostly means to acquire, but keeping its prior meanings in mind helps you to use it in the right way. College degrees are something that you obtain as is permission from your parents to go to a party. When you obtain something, you have worked hard to get it, so you are pretty happy to have it.
Vocabulary lists containing obtain
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Essential English Vocabulary, List 1
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
During World War I, Monet pressured Étienne Clémentel, the minister of commerce and industry, to obtain coal, gasoline and permission for Monet to retain the use of his own car.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 6, 2026
Prosecutors said Nuño sought to obtain the funds through the Paycheck Protection Program and the Economic Injury Disaster Loan program, both of which were created under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 5, 2026
"We need better ways to obtain and verify information, trace complex corporate relationships, and impose meaningful consequences on errant entities," Minister for Sustainability and the Environment Grace Fu said.
From Barron's ● Nov. 4, 2026
The project could provide an enormous amount of new data related to these ancient particles, potentially offering insights that other experiments cannot obtain.
From Science Daily ● Nov. 2, 2026
Eventually an experiment can be reliably mass-produced by manufacturing special equipment designed to obtain precisely that result—the equipment and the results are interdependent.
From "The Invention of Science" by David Wootton
Even if a prosecutor obtains a complaint, the complaint is valid for only, in most cases, 30 days.
From Slate ● Nov. 3, 2026
FareShare South West is an independent charity that obtains surplus food from food producers, farmers, supermarkets and other businesses before it goes to waste.
From BBC ● Oct. 20, 2026
The Social Security Administration obtains medical records to determine a person’s eligibility when they apply for disability benefits.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 11, 2026
The deal creates an opportunity to ensure that Iran never obtains a nuclear weapon, Rutte said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 17, 2026
We do not know what transpires within the Town, but there is much Word among the assembled Regiments that it is become a Prison & only those who obtains Passes from Gen. Gage may leave.
From "The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation, Volume I: The Pox Party" by M.T. Anderson
The BBC's wider investigation also revealed at least £150m is currently owed to the government in uncollected illegal-working fines, according to Home Office figures exclusively obtained by the BBC.
From BBC ● Nov. 6, 2026
Najib's aide, Ahmad Lutfi Azhar, also confirmed the payment and the former leader's lawyer Farhan Shafee said they had already obtained papers to transfer the former leader out of jail.
From Barron's ● Nov. 6, 2026
Detectives obtained a search warrant for Stein’s home in Oakland and seized several electronic devices, police said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 5, 2026
Nevertheless, because it obtained a complaint, the government had to endure a multiday preliminary hearing during which the investigating agent was subjected to cross-examination by each defendant’s attorney.
From Slate ● Nov. 3, 2026
White learned of the statement that private investigator No. 28 had obtained from the Kaw Indian woman, in which Rose had confessed to being the murderer.
From "Killers of the Flower Moon" by David Grann
However, obtaining stable examples that could be isolated and examined remained an unsolved problem.
From Science Daily ● Nov. 6, 2026
Singapore enacted a Transboundary Haze Pollution Act in 2014, but enforcement has been stymied by jurisdictional barriers and challenges obtaining evidence from overseas.
From Barron's ● Nov. 4, 2026
As I noted earlier, the government initiated the Floris and Benavides case by obtaining such a complaint.
From Slate ● Nov. 3, 2026
Stubborn inflation was still a big problem, however, and companies had trouble obtaining supplies and delivering goods to customers in a timely manner.
From MarketWatch ● Nov. 2, 2026
Though hawking had a practical purpose — obtaining meat for the table — this was perhaps less important than the excitement and prestige the sport provided.
From "Good Masters! Sweet Ladies!: Voices from a Medieval Village" by Laura Amy Schlitz
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
