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.
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Examples of obtain in a Sentence
Yasemin Saplakoglu, WIRED, 5 Jan. 2025
Additionally, cultural considerations, maintaining the pleasure of eating, financial and medical situations, and your access to food can impact food choices and your ability to obtain your nutrient needs.
—Allison Herries, Verywell Health, 4 Jan. 2025
See the body-cam video of tense arrest Body-camera footage obtained by the Miami Herald shows Kerley upset and speaking with officers before turning away.
—Milena Malaver, Miami Herald, 4 Jan. 2025
Footage obtained by Nea Kriti shows Thomann being rescued from the gorge by local fire and rescue teams.
—Escher Walcott, People.com, 4 Jan. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Obtain.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/obtain. Accessed 18 Jan. 2025.
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obtain
verb
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