obtain
verb (used with object)
to come into possession of; get, acquire, or procure, as through an effort or by a request.
had obtained
-
past perfectof obtain.past perfect
Used to express a completed action that took place before another specific past action occurred.
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 Justice Department said only that the search was related to an ongoing investigation and that the department had obtained a warrant from a federal judge.
From Slate ● Oct. 13, 2026
Vamos said disputes over warrants were not uncommon - but if the police lost on a technical error, they could still sometimes keep what they had obtained in a search.
From BBC ● Oct. 5, 2026
Silva said he was shocked to receive the email from In-N-Out corporate as he had obtained permission to carry out the photo shoot from the manager of the local In-N-Out in Lincoln.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 30, 2026
The Atlantic magazine earlier this month said it had obtained the original book proposal, and found the published memoir diverged notably with Arday’s earlier accounts of his life and the proposal itself.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 14, 2026
Wilkins had obtained some highly purified DNA from a Swiss lab and stretched it into thin, uniform fibers.
From "The Gene" by Siddhartha Mukherjee
