Word Confusion: Attain versus Obtain

You can attain that well-fed feeling if you obtain an invitation to someone’s Thanksgiving dinner.

Sure, you’ll have to put some effort into it — you’ll probably have to cook something . . . if you can get that invite.

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Exploring Later . . .

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Word Confusions . . .

. . . started as my way of dealing with a professional frustration with properly spelled words that were out of context in manuscripts I was editing as well as books I was reviewing. It evolved into a sharing of information with y’all. I’m hoping you’ll share with us words that have been a bête noire for you from either end.

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Attain	Obtain
—	—
Part of Grammar:
Verb, intransitive & transitive Third person present verb: attains Past tense or past participle: attained Gerund or present participle: attaining	Verb, intransitive & transitive Third person present verb: obtains Past tense or past participle: obtained Gerund or present participle: obtaining
Reach a goal Verb, intransitive: [Usually followed by to or unto] To arrive at or succeed in reaching or obtaining something To reach in the course of development or growth Verb, transitive: Succeed in achieving something that one desires and has worked for Reach a specified age, size, or amount	Get something Verb, intransitive: [Formal] Be prevalent, customary, or established [Archaic] To succeed Verb, transitive: Get, acquire, procure, or secure, as through an effort or by a request To come into possession of [Obsolete] To arrive at Reach or achieve
Examples:
Verb, intransitive: Two and a half days is reasonable, therefore — according to IBM — quantum supremacy is yet to be attained. These trees attain to remarkable height. The Queen’s Royal Lancers attained to their motto: The Death or Glory Boys. He attained to high office. It took years, but he eventually attained to wisdom. Verb, transitive: Clarify your objectives and find ways of attaining them. He attained the rank of admiral. Human beings can attain happiness. Dolphins can attain remarkable speeds in water. The late Mrs. Boyle had attained the age of one hundred years and enjoyed good health up to the end. One in ten children die before they attain the age of five years, adds the report.	Verb, intransitive: The price of silver fell to that obtaining elsewhere in the ancient world. The morals that obtained in Rome were appalling. But how does all this fit with what obtains here at home? He had entered the course against Œnomaus whose charioteer he had bribed and victory was easily obtained. Verb, transitive: It was an opportunity to obtain advanced degrees. You will have to obtain permission if you want to go. She went to night school to obtain a better income. Adequate insurance cover is difficult to obtain.
Derivatives:
Adjective: attainable, unattained, unattaining Noun: attainability, attainableness, attainder, attainer, attainment Verb: reattain	Adjective: obtainable Noun: obtainability, obtainer, obtainment
History of the Word:
Middle English in the senses bring to justice and reach a state, from the Old French ateindre, from the Latin attingere, which is from ad- (at, to) + tangere (to touch).	Late Middle English from the Old French obtenir, which is from the Latin obtinere meaning obtain, gain.

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C’mon, get it out of your system, bitch, whine, moan . . . which words are your pet peeves? Also, please note that I try to be as accurate as I can, but mistakes happen or I miss something. Email me if you find errors, so I can fix them . . . and we’ll all benefit!

Satisfy your curiosity about other Word Confusions on its homepage or more generally explore the index of self-editing posts. You may also want to explore Book Layout & Formatting Ideas, Formatting Tips, Grammar Explanations, Linguistics, Publishing Tips, the Properly Punctuated, Writing Ideas and Resources, and Working Your Website.

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Resources for Attain versus Obtain

Apple Dictionary.com

Dictionary.com: attain, obtain

The Free Dictionary: attain

Lexico.com: attain

Vocabulary.com: attain

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Pinterest Photo Credits:

Med Tech Stanford Checks Jude’s Vitals, <https://www.health.mil/News/Articles/2019/03/22/Pediatric-clinic-works-to-keep-children-healthy>, Mountain Home Air Force Base, Idaho, by Airman 1st Class Andrew Kobialka and is in the public domain courtesy of the U.S. Air Force. The image was flipped horizontally with some transparency applied behind the upper text.

Revised as of 4 Apr 2024
By: Kathy Davie