obtain
- 01 B2 Upper Intermediate
to get something, especially by making an effort or following a process.
to acquire or procure something through effort, request, or formal procedure. Transitive — requires a direct object.
Simple“You must obtain a permit from the city before you start building the fence.”
In context“The researchers struggled to obtain the necessary data from the government, as the files were still classified for security reasons.”
UsageOften used in administrative, legal, or academic contexts rather than casual conversation.
- 02 C1 Advanced
to exist or be the situation that is currently happening.
to be prevalent, customary, or in force; to hold true in a specific context. Intransitive — does not take a direct object.
Simple“The same strict rules obtain in this office as they did twenty years ago.”
In context“Economists are debating whether these market conditions still obtain in a digital economy where traditional borders no longer limit trade.”
UsageThis sense is always intransitive and typically appears in academic or philosophical writing.
Teacher's tipThis sense is much rarer than the 'to get' sense; learners should recognize it in formal texts but may prefer 'apply' or 'exist' in their own writing.
Usage obtained financial · data obtain · easily obtain
“She obtained a court order preventing Berry-Dee from removing their children from her care.”
“He also said that Australia supports the aim of preventing Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon.”
From Middle English obteinen, from Anglo-Norman obtenir, optiner et al., and Middle French obtenir, from Latin obtinēre (“to gain, achieve, succeed, possess”), from ob- + tenēre (“to hold”).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.