Definitions for obtain
əbˈteɪnob·tain

Princeton's WordNet(2.00 / 2 votes)Rate this definition:

1. obtain(verb)

   come into possession of

   "How did you obtain the visa?"

2. receive, get, find, obtain, incur(verb)

   receive a specified treatment (abstract)

   "These aspects of civilization do not find expression or receive an interpretation"; "His movie received a good review"; "I got nothing but trouble for my good intentions"

3. prevail, hold, obtain(verb)

   be valid, applicable, or true

   "This theory still holds"

Wiktionary(5.00 / 1 vote)Rate this definition:

1. obtain(Verb)

   To get hold of; to gain possession of, to procure; to acquire, in any way.

2. obtain(Verb)

   To secure (that) a specific objective or state of affairs be reached.

3. obtain(Verb)

   To prevail, be victorious; to succeed.

4. obtain(Verb)

   To hold; to keep, possess or occupy.

5. obtain(Verb)

   To exist or be the case; to hold true, be in force.

Origin: From obtenir, optiner et al., and obtenir, from obtinere, from ob- + tenere.

Webster Dictionary(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. Obtain(verb)

   to hold; to keep; to possess

2. Obtain(verb)

   to get hold of by effort; to gain possession of; to procure; to acquire, in any way

3. Obtain(verb)

   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

4. Obtain(verb)

   to prevail; to succeed

Chambers 20th Century Dictionary(3.00 / 1 vote)Rate this definition:

1. Obtain

   ob-tān′, v.t. to lay hold of: to hold: to procure by effort: to gain: to keep possession of.—v.i. to be established: to continue in use: to become customary or prevalent: to hold good: (rare) to succeed.—adj. Obtain′able, that may be obtained, procured, or acquired.—ns. Obtain′er; Obtain′ment; Obten′tion, procurement.—Obtain to (Bacon), to attain to. [Fr.,—L. obtinēre—ob, upon, tenēre, to hold.]

Military Dictionary and Gazetteer(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. obtain

   To get hold of by effort; to gain possession of.

British National Corpus

1. Spoken Corpus Frequency

   Rank popularity for the word 'obtain' in Spoken Corpus Frequency: #2198

2. Verbs Frequency

   Rank popularity for the word 'obtain' in Verbs Frequency: #175

How to pronounce obtain?

1. 

   Alex

   US English

   

   Daniel

   British

   

   Karen

   Australian

   

   Veena

   Indian

How to say obtain in sign language?

Numerology

1. Chaldean Numerology

   The numerical value of obtain in Chaldean Numerology is: 2

2. Pythagorean Numerology

   The numerical value of obtain in Pythagorean Numerology is: 7

Examples of obtain in a Sentence

1. Doris Lessing:

   Some people obtain fame, others deserve it.

2. Oliver Wendell Holmes:

   To obtain a man's opinion of you, make him mad.

3. Italian Proverb:

   By asking for the impossible we obtain the possible.

4. Jamal Hussain:

   I will finally have the chance to obtain an identity.

5. Italian Proverb:

   By asking for the impossible, obtain the best possible.

Images & Illustrations of obtain

Popularity rank by frequency of use