obtain

American  

[uhb-teyn] / əbˈteɪn /

verb (used with object)

1. to come into possession of; get, acquire, or procure, as through an effort or by a request.

   to obtain permission;

   to obtain a better income.

   Synonyms:

   attain, win, earn, achieve, gain

   Antonyms:

   forgo, lose

2. Obsolete. to attain or reach.

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verb (used without object)

1. to be prevalent, customary, or in vogue; prevail.

   the morals that obtained in Rome.

2. Archaic. to succeed.

obtain British  

/ əbˈteɪn /

verb

1. (tr) to gain possession of; acquire; get

2. (intr) to be customary, valid, or accepted

   a new law obtains in this case

3. archaic (tr) to arrive at

4. archaic (intr) to win a victory; succeed

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Related Words

See get.

Other Word Forms

• obtainability
  noun
• obtainable
  adjective
• obtainer
  noun
• obtainment
  noun
• preobtain
  verb (used with object)
• preobtainable
  adjective
• reobtain
  verb (used with object)
• reobtainable
  adjective
• unobtainable
  adjective
• unobtained
  adjective

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.

Example Sentences

And he ordered RIH to give him all the documents demanded by the government’s subpoena by Tuesday, implying that the hospital might destroy these records if he did not obtain them immediately.

From Slate • May 19, 2026

“If he is successful as mayor and tries to obtain greater resources for mental health, it could work and it could be a good thing,” Webb said.

From Los Angeles Times • May 19, 2026

Annie has had no path to obtain a green card or otherwise become legal.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 15, 2026

Construction regulation is essential for safety, but there are now so many approvals to obtain and processes to navigate that build times have slowed by about 40% in the past 15 years.

From BBC • May 12, 2026

Prosecutors gave Bryan Burkhart immunity, believing that it was necessary to obtain Morrison’s conviction.

From "Killers of the Flower Moon" by David Grann

Related Words

• access
• achieve
• attain
• collect
• earn
• gain
• gather
• glean
• have
• pick up
• procure
• purchase
• reach
• realize
• reap
• receive
• recover
• retrieve
• secure
• seize