Past tense of obtain
regular verb
The past tense of obtain is obtained. The past participle is also obtained.
Forms of obtain
| Base form (V1) | obtain /əbˈteɪn/ |
|---|---|
| Past tense (V2) | obtained /əbˈteɪnd/ |
| Past participle (V3) | obtained /əbˈteɪnd/ |
| Present participle | obtaining /əbˈteɪnɪŋ/ |
| Third person singular | obtains |
Obtained in a sentence
- We obtained accurate data from the survey.
- Partly, this is a result of how online advertising has traditionally worked: advertisers pay for clicks, and a click is a click, however it's obtained.2013 June 21, Oliver Burkeman, “The tao of tech”, in The Guardian Weekly, volume 189, number 2, page 48
- Nutrients and oxygen obtained by the mother are conveyed to the fetus.From the entry mother
- Several images of the compound were obtained via a drone overflight.From the entry drone
- Richard obtained a divorce from his wife some years ago, but hasn't returned to the dating scene.From the entry divorce
Meaning of obtain
- verb To get hold of; to gain possession of, to procure; to acquire, in any way.
- verb To secure (that) a specific objective or state of affairs be reached.
- verb To prevail, be victorious; to succeed.
Questions about the past tense of obtain
- What is the past tense of obtain?
- The past tense of obtain is obtained.
- What is the past participle of obtain?
- The past participle of obtain is obtained.
- Is obtain a regular or irregular verb?
- Obtain is a regular verb: its past tense adds -ed.
Source and license
Adapted from Wiktionary: obtain (page history and authors) and the entries of its forms. Text available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 license. Word.ws left out forms marked obsolete, archaic, rare or dialectal and added the examples. Wiktionary data of 2026-09-02.
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Cite this page: “Past tense of obtain.” Word.ws, https://word.ws/past-tense/obtain. Based on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.