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verb

obtain

CEFR B1

to get or acquire something

In a sentence

Six example sentences with obtain, each labelled with its topic.

  • Small firms obtain credit far more slowly than large ones, even when both show the same repayment record.

    Finance

  • Anyone may obtain a copy of the deed for a small fee, though the office still mails it on paper.

    Law

  • It took three winters to obtain the shot he wanted, a frozen lake with one line of tracks crossing it.

    Photography

  • You must obtain the permit in the capital before heading north, since the mountain office cannot issue one.

    Travel

  • The team spent two seasons trying to obtain an ice core long enough to reach the last warm period.

    Science

  • Good saffron is hard to obtain outside the city, so she bought a year's supply on every visit.

    Cooking

Study obtain until you keep it

Learn English words in sentences about topics you pick, with a quick quiz. With an account, words come back for review.

Found in these word lists

Found in 10 published word lists

Each source is a published word list that contains obtain. No exam board publishes an official GRE, GMAT or SAT list; GMAT words come from GRE lists and the Academic Word List.