Synonyms for obtain
əbˈteɪnob·tain

English Synonyms and AntonymsRate these synonyms:2.5 / 2 votes

1. obtain

   A person may obtain a situation by the intercession of friends, he procures a dinner by paying for it. Attain is a lofty word, pointing to some high or desirable result; a man attains the mountain summit, he attains honor or learning as the result of strenuous and earnest labor. Even that usage of attain which has been thought to refer to mere progress of time carries the thought of a result desired; as, to attain to old age; the man desires to live to a good old age; we should not speak of his attaining his dotage. One may attain an object that will prove not worth his labor, but what he achieves is in itself great and splendid; as, the Greeks at Marathon achieved a glorious victory. Compare DO; GET; REACH.

   Synonyms:
   accomplish, achieve, acquire, arrive at, attain, compass, earn, gain, get, grasp, master, procure, reach, secure, win

   Antonyms:
   abandon, fail, forfeit, give up, let go, lose, miss

Princeton's WordNetRate these synonyms:1.0 / 1 vote

1. obtainverb

   come into possession of

   "How did you obtain the visa?"

   Synonyms:
   incur, find, receive, prevail, get, hold

2. receive, get, find, obtain, incurverb

   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"

   Synonyms:
   pick up, make, mystify, experience, develop, draw, have, find oneself, become, sustain, receive, retrieve, scram, prevail, amaze, stimulate, sire, drive, engender, hold, go, rule, fix, stick, pay back, regain, happen, suffer, feel, beat, set about, get down, get under one's skin, incur, contract, bring forth, grow, dumbfound, stupefy, start, welcome, arrest, meet, witness, bring, bewilder, see, mother, chance, take, buzz off, catch, let, come up, beget, puzzle, flummox, invite, ascertain, get, generate, capture, find, baffle, produce, get hold, start out, pose, vex, aim, induce, find out, perplex, recover, bump, notice, gravel, begin, fetch, father, determine, commence, discover, encounter, arrive, set out, convey, acquire, come, line up, pay off, detect, bugger off, cause, take in, observe, nonplus

3. prevail, hold, obtainverb

   be valid, applicable, or true

   "This theory still holds"

   Synonyms:
   accommodate, book, retain, get, moderate, view as, support, take hold, hold back, harbour, defend, triumph, bind, run, deem, reign, hold up, endure, dominate, predominate, take, have, concord, rule, check, make, take for, go for, receive, throw, defy, control, harbor, keep, obligate, carry, give, adjudge, entertain, nurse, oblige, curb, hold, die hard, incur, confine, find, have got, arrest, restrain, apply, withstand, persist, agree, hold in, halt, contain, concur, maintain, guard, keep back, sustain, prevail, reserve, admit, declare, bear

Matched Categories

1. • Change
   • Exist
   • Get

Editors ContributionRate these synonyms:0.0 / 0 votes

1. gettethverb

   to get something from a person, place, or thing means to take possession of something.

   obtain and or receive

   Submitted by anonymous on August 10, 2022  

Dictionary of English SynonymesRate these synonyms:5.0 / 1 vote

1. obtainverb

   Synonyms:
   procure, get, acquire, achieve, gain, win, earn, secure, get possession of

Synonyms, Antonyms & Associated WordsRate these synonyms:0.0 / 0 votes

1. obtainverb

   Synonyms:
   gain, get, procure, acquire, win, attain, secure

PPDB, the paraphrase databaseRate these paraphrases:0.0 / 0 votes

1. List of paraphrases for "obtain":

   obtaining, get, achieve, gain, receive, acquire, secure, seek, getting, obtained, collect, derive, elicit, gather, procure, gaining, earn, enlist, solicit, attain, learn, find, securing, access, produce, achieving, reach, win, provide, have

Suggested Resources

1. Obtain

   Obtain vs. Attain -- In this Grammar.com article you will learn the differences between the words Obtain and Attain.

How to pronounce obtain?

How to say obtain in sign language?

Usage in printed sourcesFrom: 

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Words popularity by usage frequency

How to use obtain in a sentence?

1. Christian Pereira:

   Two weeks ago, 446 General Motors workers were dismissed, the company said production is slowing and auto parts for assembly are nearly impossible to obtain.

2. Isabella Rossellini:

   Mama wrote a letter to my father saying' I want to work with you' and she ended the letter saying' in Italian I can only say ti amo( I love you)' and of course the press used that to say women are sexual predators, in 1949 they made a first film together,' Stromboli', and they fell in love and my mother became pregnant with my brother Roberto before she could obtain a divorce.

3. Gloria Calvo:

   I hope this will end up in an agreement and that Catalans will obtain a better situation out of all this, i hope it all turns out well and that the result of the general election in December will help.

4. Diane Derzis:

   I will tell you that any patient who contacts These US companies, These US companies'll see them. These US companies'll make sure These US companies see them during that 10 days, a woman should not have to leave the state to obtain medical care.

5. Finance Minister Joe Oliver:

   Given the current market instability, I will not bring forward our budget earlier than April. We need all the information we can obtain before finalizing our decisions.