obtain

English Online Dictionary. What means obtain‎? What does obtain mean?

English

Alternative forms

• obtein, obteyn (obsolete)

Etymology

From Middle English obteinen, from Anglo-Norman obtenir, optiner et al., and Middle French obtenir, from Latin obtinēre (“to gain, achieve, succeed, possess”), from ob- + tenēre (“to hold”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /əbˈteɪn/
• Rhymes: -eɪn
• Homophone: abthane

Verb

obtain (third-person singular simple present obtains, present participle obtaining, simple past and past participle obtained)

1. (transitive) To get hold of; to gain possession of, to procure; to acquire, in any way. [from 15th c.]
2. (intransitive, obsolete) To secure (that) a specific objective or state of affairs be reached. [15th–19th c.]
3. (intransitive, obsolete) To prevail, be victorious; to succeed. [15th–19th c.]
4. (transitive, obsolete) To hold; to keep, possess or occupy. [15th–18th c.]
5. (intransitive, philosophy) To exist or be the case; to hold true, be in force. [from 17th c.]

Conjugation

Synonyms

• (to gain possession of): get, gain, acquire, attain, procure

Derived terms

• obtainment
• obtainance

Related terms

Translations

Anagrams

• boat-in, batino, Tobian, Bonita