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:
As part of his prep work, Hunnam tried to obtain the tapes from an interview conducted with Gein soon after his arrest.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 10, 2026
Once, Murrill even threatened to block an exoneree’s ability to obtain a license to practice law if he didn’t drop his claim.
From Salon ● Aug. 10, 2026
He warns that this situation does not just affect a child's early years but extends to their future education and as an adult being able to travel or obtain official documents.
From BBC ● Aug. 7, 2026
The body produces arginine naturally, and people also obtain it from many protein-rich foods.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 3, 2026
What skills will children need to obtain employment?
From "Music and the Child" by Natalie Sarrazin
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
To conduct its analysis, ProPublica obtained declination data from the DOJ and the Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse, a center that obtains data through Freedom of Information Act requests.
From Salon ● Apr. 1, 2026
"Immediate supply shortages" were not expected as Germany only obtains a small proportion of its energy supplies from the Middle East, it said.
From Barron's ● Mar. 12, 2026
The plot basically sticks to the first seven chapters of the 100-chapter novel, which concerns an engagingly impulsive monkey who obtains superpowers and, to protect his monkey community, enjoys one wily adventure after another.
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 1, 2025
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
However, the policy still allows students to store and cook legally obtained game meat.
From Salon ● Aug. 8, 2026
The force knew her routine and where she spent time - and an empathetic officer obtained a detailed account from the woman.
From BBC ● Aug. 7, 2026
It also comes after the Homeland Security panel’s Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations obtained what a spokeswoman said was a copy of the doctor’s iPhone records from his time working for the government.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 6, 2026
He obtained a college degree, is employed as a drug counselor, and still finds time to give back to the people through his illustrations.
From Slate ● Aug. 6, 2026
She will no doubt attempt to pass for a free girl, and it is likely she has obtained a free pass.
From "The Underground Railroad: A Novel" by Colson Whitehead
The time commitments involved in obtaining these credentials vary.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 31, 2026
The tests include so-called "capture-the-flag" evaluations in which Claude was tasked with obtaining information by breaching other systems - a common way that experts assess a model's hacking capabilities.
From BBC ● Jul. 31, 2026
Scientists have long suspected that inherited genetics helps explain these differences, but obtaining direct evidence from human studies has been difficult.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 27, 2026
“It’s a division of labor in obtaining classified data.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 25, 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.
