obtain
Americanverb (used with object)
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obtains,
present (3rd person singular)
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obtained,
past participle, past
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obtaining
present participle
verb (used without object)
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obtains,
present (3rd person singular)
-
obtained,
past participle, past
-
obtaining
present participle
-
to be prevalent, customary, or in vogue; prevail.
the morals that obtained in Rome.
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Archaic. to succeed.
verb
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(tr) to gain possession of; acquire; get
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(intr) to be customary, valid, or accepted
a new law obtains in this case
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archaic (tr) to arrive at
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archaic (intr) to win a victory; succeed
Synonym Usage
See get.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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obtainabilitynoun
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obtainernoun
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obtainmentnoun
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preobtainverb (used with object)
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reobtainverb (used with object)
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obtainableadjective
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preobtainableadjective
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reobtainableadjective
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unobtainableadjective
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unobtainedadjective
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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obtainsimple
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obtainssimple
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have obtainedperfect
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has obtainedperfect
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am obtainingprogressive
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are obtainingprogressive
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is obtainingprogressive
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have been obtainingperfect progressive
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has been obtainingperfect progressive
Past
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obtainedsimple
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had obtainedperfect
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was obtainingprogressive
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were obtainingprogressive
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had been obtainingperfect progressive
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.
Vocabulary lists containing obtain
The Vocabulary.com Top 1000
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Essential English Vocabulary, List 1
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100 SAT words Beginning with "O"
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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:
If the homeowner fails to obtain coverage, the lender can “force-place” a policy and require a monthly payment.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 23, 2026
Among the surprises are Harvard-Westlake, San Marino, St. Bernard, Royal, all of which have struggled to obtain winning records in recent years.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 23, 2026
Texas resident Salem Abraham is fighting in court to obtain and publicize Xcel Energy’s power pole inspection records following a massive 2024 fire.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 22, 2026
"And what if crops could one day obtain nitrogen directly from atmospheric N2?"
From Science Daily ● Sep. 19, 2026
It must not be sacrificed on the altar of greed and power merely to obtain a few crumbs for the few.
From "The Best of Enemies" by Osha Gray Davidson
The Social Security Administration obtains medical records to determine a person’s eligibility when they apply for disability benefits.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 11, 2026
But the document leaves the door open to purchases from outside Europe if necessary, as long as Kyiv obtains the approval of the commission.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 14, 2026
The text of both the ADA and Section 504 plainly applies to “qualified individuals with disabilities,” without any reference to where the disabled person obtains a covered service.
From Slate ● Jul. 9, 2025
The agencies said MWD obtains this water at the Colorado River and delivers it to San Diego.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 2, 2025
“It was a most beautiful sight one obtains in the descent of the car, for then the whole fair grounds is laid before you,” Gronau said.
From "The Devil in the White City" by Erik Larson
The romp abruptly ended at the Boise airport when Love and Chan were removed from a white sports car by federal agents, according to a video obtained by TMZ.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 23, 2026
That detail has been verified by the BBC based on numerous pictures obtained from residents.
From BBC ● Sep. 23, 2026
“We were very warmly received,” Kao reported to his colleagues in an email obtained by the FBI.
From Salon ● Sep. 23, 2026
A judge ruled the AI company could use books for training in some circumstances, but the “fair use” argument didn’t cover millions of books that Anthropic obtained from known ebook piracy sites.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 19, 2026
She could tell that Dickinson was a layperson where ships were concerned, and she made smart guesses about where and how Dickinson had obtained her information.
From "The Woman All Spies Fear" by Amy Butler Greenfield
Nagy's team contributed analytical capabilities that helped the researchers determine how the cells were still obtaining cysteine from cystine despite lacking a working disulfide reductase system.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 25, 2026
A poorly funded HOA can leave homeowners facing higher dues, special assessments, deferred maintenance and, in the most extreme cases, difficulty obtaining financing when they want to sell.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 22, 2026
Mr. Guimarães began the process of obtaining U.S. citizenship, bringing along his girlfriend, Catarina, in the hope that she, too, could settle here.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 18, 2026
But Travers said he does not understand what the council's "issue" was with him obtaining the files.
From BBC ● Sep. 10, 2026
Ervin succeeded in obtaining the support of 101 out of 128 members of Congress from the eleven original Confederate states.
From "The New Jim Crow" by Michelle Alexander
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
