obtain
verb (used with object)
to come into possession of; get, acquire, or procure, as through an effort or by a request.
obtained
-
past participleof obtain.past participle
A verb form used in perfect and passive verb constructions and that can also function as a modifier.
-
past tense formof obtain.past tense
Used to describe completed actions or previous habitual actions.
obtainverb (used with object)to come into possession of; get, acquire, or procure, as through an effort or by a request.
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.
The investigation is focused at least in part on how Omar obtained her citizenship after she arrived in the U.S. from Somalia decades ago, people familiar with it have said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 16, 2026
Freedom of Information data obtained by Yesh Din, an Israeli human rights group, showed that between October 2023 and August 2024 at least 1,456 Gaza-related incidents were referred to the FFAM.
From BBC ● Oct. 15, 2026
The remaining 10 percent would have had to be compensated for through various credits obtained among other things by using low-carbon steel.
From Barron's ● Oct. 15, 2026
His publicist initially told the Associated Press that the renowned designer died of pneumonia, but a death certificate obtained by Us Weekly paints a different picture.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 14, 2026
On the all-important question of sovereignty, the same artfully contrived ambiguity also obtained: Sovereignty did not reside with the federal government or the individual states; it resided with “the people.”
From "Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation" by Joseph J. Ellis
