OBTAIN

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does obtain mean? 

• OBTAIN (verb)
  The verb OBTAIN has 3 senses:

1. come into possession of

2. receive a specified treatment (abstract)

3. be valid, applicable, or true

  Familiarity information: OBTAIN used as a verb is uncommon.

 Dictionary entry details 

• OBTAIN (verb)

Present simple: I / you / we / they obtain    ... he / she / it obtains   
Past simple: obtained   
Past participle: obtained   
-ing form: obtaining   

Sense 1

Meaning:

Come into possession of

Classified under:

Verbs of buying, selling, owning

Context example:

How did you obtain the visa?

Hypernyms (to "obtain" is one way to...):

acquire; get (come into the possession of something concrete or abstract)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "obtain"):

carry (secure the passage or adoption (of bills and motions))

dig up; excavate; turn up (find by digging in the ground)

extort; wring from (get or cause to become in a difficult or laborious manner)

kite (get credit or money by using a bad check)

source (get (a product) from another country or business)

procure; secure (get by special effort)

extract (get despite difficulties or obstacles)

take out (obtain by legal or official process)

get in; get into (secure a place in a college, university, etc.)

eke out; squeeze out (obtain with difficulty)

bum; cadge; grub; mooch; sponge (ask for and get free; be a parasite)

derive; gain (obtain)

shop (do one's shopping)

snag (get by acting quickly and smartly)

grab (obtain illegally or unscrupulously)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s something from somebody

Derivation:

obtainable (capable of being obtained)

obtainment; obtention (the act of obtaining)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Receive a specified treatment (abstract)

Classified under:

Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc.

Synonyms:

find; get; incur; obtain; receive

Context example:

I got nothing but trouble for my good intentions

Hypernyms (to "obtain" is one way to...):

change (undergo a change; become different in essence; losing one's or its original nature)

Verb group:

acquire; get (come into the possession of something concrete or abstract)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "obtain"):

take (ascertain or determine by measuring, computing or take a reading from a dial)

Sentence frame:

Something ----s

Sense 3

Meaning:

Be valid, applicable, or true

Classified under:

Verbs of being, having, spatial relations

Synonyms:

hold; obtain; prevail

Context example:

This theory still holds

Hypernyms (to "obtain" is one way to...):

be; exist (have an existence, be extant)

Sentence frame:

Something ----s

 Context examples 

A naturally-occurring retinol (vitamin A) precursor obtained from certain fruits and vegetables with potential antineoplastic and chemopreventive activities.

(Beta-Carotene, NCI Thesaurus)

Complex pharmaceutical substances, preparations, or agents of organic origin, usually obtained by biological methods or assay, that depend for their action on the processes affecting immunity.

(Biological agent, NLM, Medical Subject Headings)

I obtained a good situation, and was happy.

(Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Brontë)

Force, nothing but force, obtained on this brute-ship.

(The Sea-Wolf, by Jack London)

The researchers examined worms obtained from 10 locations across the planet.

(Magnetic Field Sensor Unearthed in Worms, NIH)

And unlike other bioimaging techniques, the information obtained by the nanowire spectrometer contains a detailed analysis of the chemical fingerprint of each pixel.

(Nanowires replace Newton’s famous glass prism, University of Cambridge)

An apparent clue was at once obtained, since a boy and a young man were reported to have been seen leaving a neighbouring station by an early train.

(The Return of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

A second team made the spectacularly clear image of the planet shown here, and were even able to obtain a spectrum of the planet.

(First Confirmed Image of Newborn Planet, ESO)

The process by which an observation value was obtained.

(Method, LOINC Axis 6, NCI Thesaurus)

The effect I desired was obtained, for he at once fell from his high-horse and became a child again.

(Dracula, by Bram Stoker)