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
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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:
To obtain the buyback, the borrower fills out a form and sends it to the Education Department.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 30, 2026
Firms left short of funds for operating expenses often obtain more MCAs to cover expenses.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 30, 2026
Confirming that it had referred itself to the IPOC, the Metropolitan Police said it was aware of media reports that it had try to obtain a copy of the letter.
From BBC ● Oct. 29, 2026
"If I could obtain my documents, find a job and reunite with my family so we can live together, it would be heaven on Earth."
From Barron's ● Oct. 28, 2026
Paul didn’t want problems with the authorities, so early in the planning process she met with the District of Columbia’s police superintendent, Richard Sylvester, to obtain a parade permit.
From "Votes for Women!" by Winifred Conkling
The Social Security Administration obtains medical records to determine a person’s eligibility when they apply for disability benefits.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 11, 2026
She obtains injectable peptides from them because, she says, there is less or no enforcement of how compounds made in such pharmacies are categorized.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 20, 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
It also helps disguise where the front company - an import company which obtains a legitimate licence - is based.
From BBC ● Jun. 10, 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
Philippine police have obtained a warrant to examine devices seized from the former home of Thomas Markle, father of the Duchess of Sussex.
From BBC ● Oct. 29, 2026
It was the first labor agreement obtained by farmworkers themselves with an agricultural company, according to the union’s history.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 28, 2026
New documents obtained by AFP suggest Tuvalu will find it hard to pivot away from fossil fuels, despite the prime minister himself deriding such investments as "not a good look".
From Barron's ● Oct. 28, 2026
Janones is hardly an unblemished hero: He has faced corruption allegations and accusations of threatening to release intimate photographs of his ex-girlfriend, who obtained a protective order against him—allegations he denies.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 27, 2026
Art3mis, Aech, and Shoto had all cleared the Second Gate and obtained the Crystal Key within forty-eight hours of receiving my e-mail.
From "Ready Player One: A Novel" by Ernest Cline
And, the former German spy chief August Hanning was arrested on suspicion of espionage, treason and obtaining classified information for a foreign power earlier this month.
From BBC ● Oct. 22, 2026
Even so, it has a major limitation: Most human proteins are so small that obtaining clear images of them remains extremely difficult.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 22, 2026
There are various roadblocks, such as securing massive amounts of graphics processing units, paying for all of those, navigating political resistance to data centers and obtaining sufficient power.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 21, 2026
It signaled that it could potentially spend $750 billion in the coming years on obtaining more computing capacity, including deals it is still negotiating.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 20, 2026
“Preliminary experiments,” he wrote, “indicate that there are probably no serious difficulties in the way of obtaining protons having high enough speeds to be useful for studies of atomic nuclei.”
From "Big Science" by Michael Hiltzik
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
