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View synonyms for

obtain

[ uhb-teyn ]

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: , , , ,

    Antonyms: ,

  2. Obsolete. to attain or reach.


verb (used without object)

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

    the morals that obtained in Rome.

  2. Archaic. to succeed.

obtain

/ əˈٱɪ /

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
“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
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Derived Forms

  • DzˈٲԳԳ, noun
  • DzˌٲԲˈٲ, noun
  • DzˈٲԲ, adjective
  • DzˈٲԱ, noun
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Other Word Forms

  • Dz·ٲa· adjective
  • Dz·ٲa·i·ٲ noun
  • Dz·ٲİ noun
  • Dz·ٲmԳ noun
  • o·ٲ verb (used with object)
  • preDz·ٲa· adjective
  • o·ٲ verb (used with object)
  • reDz·ٲa· adjective
  • unDz·ٲa· adjective
  • ܲo·ٲԱ adjective
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Word History and Origins

Origin of obtain1

First recorded in 1375–1425; late Middle English obteinen, from Middle French obtenir, from Latin Dzپŧ “to take hold of,” equivalent to ob- ob- ( def ) + -پŧ, combining form of ٱŧ “to hold”
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Word History and Origins

Origin of obtain1

C15: via Old French from Latin Dzپŧ to take hold of, from ob- (intensive) + ٱŧ to hold
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Synonym Study

See get.
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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

In California, the only ID undocumented immigrants can obtain is a driver’s license, and the mother had never driven.

From

County district attorney’s office, which declined to take the case after it determined the issue was a civil matter, not a criminal one, according to an email obtained by The Times.

From

The Post Office told the BBC that it finally obtained rights related to the Horizon software and code in 2023, although it is not known if this includes the core system that processes transactions.

From

Marler said he obtained invoices from a St. Louis caterer listing Taylor Farms as its seller.

From

Many parents see the signs before age three, but they typically face a one-year-long bureaucratic and resource-strapped process of obtaining a formal diagnosis.

From

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obstruentobtaining by deception