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

On Friday the government reached an agreement with miners who were striking to obtain increased supplies of fuel and explosives to do their work and an expansion of areas in which they can operate.

From Barron's • May 16, 2026

On secondary platforms, he said, “you should be able to obtain a more direct ownership structure.”

From The Wall Street Journal • May 16, 2026

If mifepristone is difficult to obtain, a misoprostol-only medication abortion still works.

From Salon • 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

I felt more determined to recruit staff and obtain resources to meet the growing challenges of providing legal assistance to condemned people.

From "Just Mercy" by Bryan Stevenson

Related Words

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