Ob-tāin'1, v. t.
[imp. & p. p. OBTAINED; p. pr. & vb. n. OBTAINING.] [Lat. obtinere, from prefix ob and tenere, to hold; Fr. obtenir, Sp. obtener, It. ottenere.]
Sense 1. To get hold of by effort; to gain possession of; to acquire.
Some pray for riches; riches they obtain. Dryden.
Sense 2. To maintain a hold upon; to keep; to possess. [Obs. and rare.]
His mother then is mortal; but his Sire He who obtains the monarchy of heaven; And what will he not do to advance his Son? Milton.
Synonyms—To attain; gain; procure; acquire; win; earn. See ATTAIN.—To OBTAIN, GET, GAIN, ACQUIRE. The idea of getting is common to all these terms. We may, indeed, with only a slight change of sense, substitute get for either of them; as, to get or to gain a prize; to get or to obtain an employment; to get or to acquire a language. To gain is to get by striving; and as this is often a part of our good fortune, the word gain is peculiarly applicable to whatever comes to us fortuitously. Thus, we gain a victory, we gain a cause, we gain an advantage, &c. To obtain excludes the idea of chance, and implies some effort directed to the attainment of that which is not immediately within our reach. Whatever we thus seek and get, we obtain, whether by our own exertions or those of others; whether by good or bad means; whether permanently or only for a time. Thus, a man obtains an employment; he obtains the information he desired; he obtains an answer to a letter, &c. To acquire is more limited and specific. We acquire by our own efforts, while we obtain by the efforts of others as well as ourselves; as, to acquire property, reputation, &c. We acquire what comes to us gradually in the regular exercise of our abilities, while we obtain what comes in any way, provided we desire it. Thus, we acquire knowledge, honor, &c. What we acquire becomes, to a great extent, permanently our own; as, to acquire a language, to acquire habits of industry, &c. Even when we speak of acquiring property, we regard it, for the time being, as a permanent possession, though it may afterward be taken away.