Obtain

How to spell obtain

6 letters · 2 syllables

How to pronounce obtain

Say the part in capitals loudest.

What does obtain mean?

1. verbTo get or acquire something, often through effort or a formal process.

Obtain in a sentence

• You must obtain written consent before sharing the records.

• Travellers need to obtain a visa well before the trip.

Where does obtain come from?

Language of origin: Latin

This word comes from the Latin obtinere, which meant 'to hold on to', 'to gain possession of', or 'to maintain'. It was formed from the prefix ob-, here carrying the sense of 'toward' or 'against', joined to the verb tenere, meaning 'to hold' or 'to keep'. English took the word in during the 1400s by way of Old French obtenir, and the original idea of holding firmly softened into the everyday sense of acquiring or securing something. The tenere root is remarkably productive in English, sitting inside relatives such as 'retain', 'contain', 'maintain', and 'tenant', all of which carry that core notion of holding. Remembering that shared -tain spelling, always with the letters 'tain' rather than 'tane', is the easiest way to keep the ending right.

How the word is built

• ob- (toward, against)
• tain (from Latin tenere: to hold)