To obtain means to get something, especially through effort or a specific process. When you obtain a library card, you fill out forms and provide information to receive it. When scientists obtain data from an experiment, they gather and collect the information they need.

Obtain suggests something more formal or deliberate than just “getting” something. You might get a snack from the kitchen, but you obtain permission to go on a field trip. You get a gift on your birthday, but you obtain a driver's license by studying and passing a test. A museum obtains a rare artifact by negotiating with collectors or through careful excavations.

The word often appears in instructions and formal contexts: “To obtain your results, visit the office on Tuesday” or “The reporter obtained exclusive interviews with three astronauts.” When you obtain something, you've usually taken active steps to acquire it, whether that means applying, requesting, searching, or working for it. The word emphasizes the process of gaining possession or access to something you didn't have before.