Attain or Obtain: What's the difference?
Read this to attain/obtain understanding
What to KnowAttain and obtain can both be used to mean “to acquire,” but attain is often used in the same way as achieve (as in “after years of training, she attained her goal of competing in the Olympics”). Obtain is used to mean “to gain or acquire” and usually implies direct planning or effort (as in “having obtained my supplies I was ready to go camping”).
Read on to learn whether this child is obtaining these cookies, or attaining them
Attain and obtain can both mean “to acquire,” but one or the other might be more appropriate in certain contexts depending on what is being acquired and how. Here are a few ways in which they are used:
Obtain, rather than attain, is the word used when you are acquiring a tangible object.
“I was able to obtain a recording of the concert we attended.” (This sounds natural)
“We are having trouble obtaining the supplies we need.” (This also sounds natural)
“Have you attained the sugar and flour I asked for?” (This sounds odd)
When referring to achieving something that took a long time, it is often more common to use attain (although this does not mean that using obtain is necessarily wrong).
“After decades of hard work she attained her goal of earning a PhD.” (This sounds natural)
“I have been saving money, and hope to attain a better standard of living.” (This sounds natural)
“Having finally obtained/attained real power, the political party was unwilling to give it up.” (Either word sounds natural in this case)
Once again, if you’re having difficulty choosing between attain and obtain there’s a trick you can use to help you decide: ask whether the thing being acquired is a tangible object. If the answer is yes, you probably want obtain (think object = obtain).
