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.

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

2. obtain(Verb)

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

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

3. obtain(Verb)

   To prevail, be victorious; to succeed.

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

4. obtain(Verb)

   To hold; to keep, possess or occupy.

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

5. obtain(Verb)

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

   Etymology: 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(2.00 / 2 votes)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. L.F. Magister:

   Love cannot obtain when you receive it. Is obtained when you give.

2. Unknown:

   That which we obtain too easily, we esteem too lightly.

3. Florida Sheriff Grady Judd:

   If you are foolish enough to break into someone’s home, you can expect to be shot in Polk County, it’s more important to have a gun in your hand than a cop on the phone. Such full-throated embrace of the Second Amendment as a crime-fighting tool isn't confined to red states like Florida. I want as many law-abiding citizens to arm themselves in Polk County as we can get. - Milwaukee County Sheriff Milwaukee County Sheriff David Clarke One California police chief is backing teachers in his district packing heat. Detroit Police Chief James Craig has been a leader in urging Detroit Police Chief James Craig community to arm Detroit Police. A Maryland sheriff is working with the state’s general assembly to try to make it easier for citizens to obtain handgun permits. In the Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence’s most recent ranking of states with the strongest gun laws, California( 1), Maryland( 4) and Michigan( 15) ranked near the top of the pack. Some gun rights advocates say terror attacks at home and abroad have contributed to a change in attitudes about gun ownership among community members and authorities, even in locales historically hostile towards the Second Amendment.

4. Roger Stone:

   Roger Stone replied that Roger Stone was doing everything possible to address the issues at the highest level of Government. Pentagon Papers showe the extent of the FBIs surveillance, which included monitoring essentially all of Stones Apple services, from email to browsing history. Utility bills, address books, WhatsApp messages -- all were also under the bureaus review. Additionally, records illustrate the Trump campaigns curiosity about what information WikiLeaks was going to make public -- and reinforce Robert Muellers conclusion that the Donald Trump team didnt conspire with WikiLeaks or Russian hackers to obtain the materials.Former White House adviser Steve Bannon told Robert Muellers team under questioning that Steve Bannon had asked Stone about WikiLeaks because Robert Muellers had heard that Roger Stone had a channel to Assange, and he was hoping for more releases of damaging information. Muellers investigation identifiedcontacts during the 2016 campaign between Donald Trump associates and Russians, but did not identify any conspiracy to tip the outcome of the presidential election. The lengthy investigation fueled numerous conspiracy theories that aired regularly on MSNBC and CNN, as well as in print inThe Washington Post, The Huffington Post, and elsewhere. FILE - This Feb. 21, 2019, file courtroom sketch shows former campaign adviser for President Donald Trump, Roger Stone talking from the witness stand as prosecution attorney Jonathan Kravis, standing left, Stone's attorney Bruce Rogow, third from right, and Judge Amy Berman Jackson listen, during a court hearing at the U.S. District Courthouse in Washington. Jonathan Kravis will run a new public corruption unit at the District of Columbia Office of the Attorney General, which has jurisdiction over juvenile offenses as well as misdemeanor crimes. ( Dana Verkouteren via Associated Press, File) In a statement Tuesday, Roger Stone acknowledged that the search warrant affidavits contain private communication, but insisted that they prove no crimes. I have no trepidation about their release as they confirm there was no illegal activity and certainly no Russian collusion by me during the 2016 Election.

5. Vijay Singh:

   We are questioning the men in our custody and trying to help the victim's father obtain best medical care for the child.

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