Synonyms

obtain

American

[uhb-tayn] / əbˈteɪn /

verb (used with object)

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
Obsolete. to attain or reach.

verb (used without object)

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

the morals that obtained in Rome.
Archaic. to succeed.

obtain British

/ əbˈteɪn /

verb

(tr) to gain possession of; acquire; get
(intr) to be customary, valid, or accepted

a new law obtains in this case
archaic (tr) to arrive at
archaic (intr) to win a victory; succeed

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Synonym Usage

See get.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

Inflected Forms

Participles

Conjugated Forms

Present

Past

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.

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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:

obtain obtains obtained obtaining

The research also demonstrates why studying shark hearing in the ocean can reveal information that is difficult to obtain in laboratory tanks.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 30, 2026

Lara Jesani, a lawyer who has helped interfaith couples obtain court protection, said details of planned weddings have sometimes reached relatives and Hindu nationalist groups opposed to them within that notice period.

From BBC ● Sep. 29, 2026

Nelson said Dave offers a “less onerous” way for customers to obtain banking services than they can find at large traditional banks.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 29, 2026

Novo will obtain exclusive rights to develop, manufacture and commercialize HRS-1596 globally, excluding mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 29, 2026

A group of women spoke with Aureliano so that he could obtain the return of their kitchen knives from his father-in-law.

From "One Hundred Years of Solitude" by Gabriel Garcia Marquez

The Social Security Administration obtains medical records to determine a person’s eligibility when they apply for disability benefits.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 11, 2026

And if the inmate obtains a new injunction, he can be transferred again, and the whole process starts over.

From Slate ● Jun. 23, 2026

Through it all, Mr. Trump has limited the U.S. responses to self-defense and insisted the cease-fire still obtains.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 1, 2026

The number of championship rings a player obtains is dependent on teammates and coaching systems.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 9, 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 Journal obtained those figures for 14 individual departments in five states and compared them with per-officer payout amounts and program requirements published by DHS.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 2, 2026

In a video obtained by the Daily Mail, she revealed, “Yeah, we’re having people at our house. Right now I’m taking care of people close to me and having them at my house.”

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 1, 2026

Having already obtained coaching badges, he knows he is approaching the end of his playing career.

From BBC ● Sep. 30, 2026

The paper also obtained a video showing Rodriguez speaking with parents at a baseball field.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 29, 2026

The ancient Incas obtained vicuna wool by driving wild vicunas into corrals, shearing them, and then releasing them alive.

From "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared M. Diamond

The Citizenship by Investment Program announced by the government proposes two "simple and transparent mechanisms" for obtaining an Argentine passport.

From Barron's ● Oct. 2, 2026

The results show that arm position makes a "huge difference" in obtaining an accurate blood pressure measurement, according to Tammy Brady, M.D.,

From Science Daily ● Oct. 1, 2026

The legislation followed growing complaints that brokers were obtaining reservations at Los Angeles municipal courses and reselling them, often advertising slots through social media, including the Korean messaging app KakaoTalk.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 29, 2026

Businesses are taking different approaches to obtaining air defenses.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 26, 2026

“I have been striving for over sixty years for a little bit of justice no bigger than that, and yet I must die without obtaining it....It seems so cruel.”

From "Votes for Women!" by Winifred Conkling

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023