LATIN DICTIONARYLexicon Latīnum
English → Latin

“obtain” in Latin

The English word obtain itself goes back to Latin teneō, through obtinēre.

Riddle & Arnold A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon, 1864

obtain
obtinere (to obtain after resistance, and keep possession): parare, comparare (provide, procure by one’s own means): quaerere (obtain by seeking; e.g., livelihood, victum; popularity with the common people, gratiam ad populum; glory, sibi gloriam): acquirere (to obtain what one has striven for): colligere (collect; e.g., good-will, favor, etc.): nancisci (obtain with or without trouble; even against one’s wish): adipisci (to achieve by exertion): consequi (to arrive at the object of one’s wish, with or without assistance): assequi (to arrive by exertion at the object of one’s endeavors): impetrare (effect or obtain what has been required): by violence, exprimere, extorquere: to obtain the highest political power, rerum potiri: to obtain credit, parere sibi laudem: money, pecuniam sibi facere: a man’s friendship, alicujus amicitiam sibi comparare: great influence, magnam auctoritatem sibi constituere: great wealth and reputation, magnas opes sibi magnumque nomen facere: a victory, victoriam ab, de, or ex hoste consequi or reportare (Cic.); referre (Liv.); adipisci (Caes.): To endeavor to obtain, captare aliquid (e.g., popularity, etc.).

Quick answer

What is the Latin word for obtain?
The usual Latin words for “obtain” are obtineō, parō, comparō; also quaerō, acquīrō, colligō. The right choice depends on the sense; see the distinctions below.

Entry from J. E. Riddle & T. K. Arnold, A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon (rev. C. Anthon, New York: Harper, 1864), digitised by Fergus J. P. Walsh, CC BY-SA 4.0; Latin markup adapted by latindictionary.co.