Definition of Obtain

1. Verb. Come into possession of. "How did you obtain the visa?"


2. Verb. Receive a specified treatment (abstract). "I got nothing but trouble for my good intentions"
Exact synonyms: Find, Get, Incur, Receive
Generic synonyms: Change
Specialized synonyms: Take
Related verbs: Acquire, Get

3. Verb. Be valid, applicable, or true. "This theory still holds"
Exact synonyms: Hold, Prevail
Generic synonyms: Be, Exist

Definition of Obtain

1. v. t. To hold; to keep; to possess.

2. v. i. To become held; to gain or have a firm footing; to be recognized or established; to subsist; to become prevalent or general; to prevail; as, the custom obtains of going to the seashore in summer.

3. v. i. To gain or have a firm footing; to become recognized or established; to become or be prevalent or general; as, the custom obtains of going to the seashore in summer.

Definition of Obtain

1. Verb. (transitive) To get hold of; to gain possession of, to procure; to acquire, in any way. (defdate from 15th c.) ¹

2. Verb. (intransitive obsolete) To secure (that) a specific objective or state of affairs be reached. (defdate 15th-19th c.) ¹

3. Verb. (intransitive obsolete) To prevail, be victorious; to succeed. (defdate 15th-19th c.) ¹

4. Verb. (transitive, obsolete) To hold; to keep, possess or occupy. (defdate 15th-18th c.) ¹

5. Verb. (intransitive) To exist or be the case; to hold true, be in force. (defdate from 17th c.) ¹

¹ Source: wiktionary.com

Definition of Obtain

1. to gain possession of [v -ED, -ING, -S]

Lexicographical Neighbors of Obtain

obstructive sleep apnoea
obstructive thrombus
obstructive uropathy
obstructively
obstructiveness
obstructives
obstructor
obstructors
obstructs
obstruent
obstruents
obstupefaction
obstupefied
obstupefy
obstupefying
obtain (current term)
obtainabilities
obtainability
obtainable
obtained
obtainer
obtainers
obtainest
obtaineth
obtaining
obtainment
obtainments
obtains
obtect
obtected

Literary usage of Obtain

Below you will find example usage of this term as found in modern and/or classical literature:

1. The Encyclopedia Americana: A Library of Universal Knowledge (1919)
"Revolving the ground plane downwards we obtain Fig. 11. prism. Removing the prism and revolving the GP downward, we obtain Fig 13. ..."

2. The pilgrim's progress from this world to that which is to come by John Bunyan (1879)
"so shall you put gladness into your mother's heart, and obtain praise of all that are sober-minded. So they thanked the Porter, and departed. ..."

3. Dictionary of National Biography by LESLIE. STEPHEN (1891)
"After the death of the elect of Valence he tried to obtain tue see of Winchester for another of his wife's uncles, Boniface of Savoy [qv], ..."

4. The Art of Worldly Wisdom by Baltasar Gracián y Morales, Joseph Jacobs (1892)
"magnet of your pleasant qualities more to obtain goodwill than good deeds, but apply it to all. Merit is not enough unless supported by grace, ..."

Other Resources:

Search for Obtain on Dictionary.com!Search for Obtain on Thesaurus.com!Search for Obtain on Google!Search for Obtain on Wikipedia!

Search

Translations