Roger Manvell
Did you know?
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
Taylor Croft,
AJC.com,
6 July 2026
Authorities confirmed the match after obtaining his DNA from trash.
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Sarah Rumpf-Whitten,
FOXNews.com,
5 July 2026
Fraser Minten, obtained in the Brandon Carlo deal from the Toronto Maple Leafs, climbed up the depth chart from fourth-line center last season and his final destination – second-line center?
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Steve Conroy,
Boston Herald,
5 July 2026
For the special occasion, Stone dazzled in what appeared to be either a strapless or a one-shoulder gown, per a photo obtained by E!
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Robyn Merrett,
InStyle,
5 July 2026
See All Example Sentences for obtain
Cite this Entry
“Obtain.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/obtain. Accessed 6 Jul. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
obtain
verb
