obtain

UK:*UK and possibly other pronunciationsUK and possibly other pronunciations/əbˈteɪn/US:USA pronunciation: IPA and respellingUSA pronunciation: IPA/əbˈteɪn/ ,USA pronunciation: respelling(əb tān)

WordReference Collins English Usage © 2025
obtain
‘obtain’
If you obtain something that you want or need, you get it.
I made another attempt to obtain employment.
He had obtained the papers during his visits to Berlin.
‘get’
‘Obtain’ is a formal word. You don't usually use it in conversation. Instead you use get.
I got a job at the factory.
He had been having trouble getting a hotel room.
In writing, obtain is often used in the passive.
All the above items can be obtained from most supermarkets.
You need to know where this kind of information can be obtained.
Be careful
You don't usually use ‘get’ in the passive. Don't say, for example, ‘Maps can be got from the Tourist Office’. Say ‘Maps can be obtained from the Tourist Office’ or, in conversation, ‘You can get maps from the Tourist Office’.
'obtain' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):

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