obtaining

/əbˈteɪn/ (bre, ipa) · [əbtˈenɪŋ] /əbˈteɪn/ (ame, ipa)

obtaining — verb

  • obtainingpresent simple I / you / we / they
  • obtainings3rd person singular
  • obtaininging-ing form
  • obtainingedpast simple

1. to get something through effort, a request, a purchase, or by producing it from

1.動詞及物B1
釋義

to get something through effort, a request, a purchase, or by producing it from available materials — for instance, getting a rare book by ordering it, earning a degree after years of study, or buying vegetables at a market.

例句

Darius obtained a rare copy of the novel from the university library.

obtained + noun + from + source

Tanvi hopes to obtain a scholarship to study engineering in Japan.

hopes to obtain + noun (future goal)

同義詞
  • get

    much more common in informal speech; covers all types of receiving without implying effort

  • acquire

    slightly more formal than 'obtain'; often suggests gaining something gradually or adding to what you already have, e.g. acquiring a skill

  • secure

    suggests obtaining something that was difficult to get, often through special effort or competition

反義詞
  • lose

    the opposite of obtaining possession

  • give up

    to stop trying to obtain something

文法句型

obtain + noun phrase

obtain + noun + from + noun

passive: be obtained + by/from/through

用法筆記

Often appears in formal or written contexts. In everyday conversation, 'get' is more common than 'obtain', though 'obtain' is natural in official forms, applications, and academic writing.

常見錯誤

❌I obtained the book from the store yesterday.' (too formal for casual speech).
✅I got the book from the store yesterday.
💡'obtain' sounds stiff in everyday conversation about shopping.
❌She obtained a cold from her classmate.
✅She caught a cold from her classmate.
💡'obtain' is not used for illnesses.

2. to exist or be in effect — used of a situation, condition, custom, or rule that

2.動詞不及物C1
釋義

to exist or be in effect — used of a situation, condition, custom, or rule that is currently true or widely accepted in a particular place or time. For example, a rule that applies in certain circumstances, or a custom that is still practised in a community.

例句

Different labour laws obtain in each of the fifty states.

laws/rules + obtain + in + place

The same relaxed atmosphere no longer obtains after the new manager took over.

conditions/situation + no longer obtain (change over time)

同義詞
  • exist

    more neutral and common; can be used in any register or variety

  • prevail

    suggests dominance or widespread acceptance; slightly more formal than 'obtain'

  • apply

    focuses on relevance or effect rather than mere existence; common for rules and conditions

反義詞
  • cease

    to stop existing or being in effect

  • disappear

    to no longer exist anywhere

文法句型

situation + obtains

situation + obtains + in/among/through + location/group

no longer obtain

用法筆記

This sense is intransitive and cannot be used in the passive voice. The subject is always a non-human abstract noun (a situation, condition, rule, custom, or atmosphere). It is most common in formal British English legal, academic, and sociological writing. In American English the equivalent is often 'prevail' or 'exist'.

常見錯誤

❌A different rule obtains by the teacher.' (passive, not possible).
✅A different rule obtains in this classroom.
💡'obtain' in this sense is intransitive and cannot take a by-phrase agent.
❌Happiness obtains in the family.' (too vague).
✅A sense of calm obtains in the household after dinner.
💡the subject must be an abstract situation or condition, not a general emotion.