Roger Manvell
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If you have difficulty choosing whether to use obtain or attain in a sentence, don’t worry, we get it. Both can mean “to get” or “to acquire,” and in some situations can be used synonymously, but one or the other might be more appropriate depending on what is being acquired and how. One clue is their respective etymologies: obtain comes to us via Anglo-French from the Latin verb obtinēre, meaning “to hold on to, possess,” while attain’s Anglo-French ancestor is ateindre, meaning “to reach” or “to accomplish.” Accordingly, obtain is usually the word used when you are acquiring, by planned effort, a tangible object—something you can hold. “We are having trouble obtaining the supplies we need” sounds natural, for example, while “Have you attained the sugar and flour I asked for?” does not. Reflecting its roots (and also implying effort), attain is often used in the same way as achieve, as in “After decades of hard work she attained her goal of earning a PhD.” Of course, one can also obtain intangible things, such as power or information, so consider this advice something to hold onto and consider when the moment arises—you needn’t cling to it.
Examples of obtain in a Sentence
Arkansas Online, 22 June 2025
In footage obtained by South Tahoe Now, boats are seen in rough water amid strong winds.
—Escher Walcott, People.com, 22 June 2025
After learning of the matter, law enforcement obtained a search warrant for Bohn’s Woodbury home and found an unloaded firearm in a locked case in his garage, according to the complaint.
—Alex Derosier, Twin Cities, 21 June 2025
However, those who are indeed social media influencers, bloggers, and YouTubers with no journalistic intent or background are only flocking to lower Manhattan to obtain content.
—Ime Ekpo, Forbes.com, 21 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for obtain
Cite this Entry
“Obtain.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/obtain. Accessed 27 Jun. 2025.
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obtain
verb
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