The other day I obtained information about the 2024 contribution amounts that can be put into a Tax Free Savings Account. The Canadian government has increased the yearly amount that can be invested to $7000. This brings the total an individual can contribute to a TFSA to $95,0000.
Now, is the word I should use obtain or attain? Do those words mean the same thing? Or is there a difference?
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.
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. It doesn’t seem correct to say, “Have you attained the sugar and flour at the grocery store?” When referring to achieving something that took time, it is often more common to use attain. After decades of hard work, she attained her goal of earning a PhD. I have been saving money and hope to attain a better standard of living.
Although sometimes either word can be used. Having finally obtained/attained real power, the political party was unwilling to give it up.
Remember, if you’re having difficulty choosing between attain and obtain ask whether the thing being acquired is a tangible, concrete, material object.
Obtain comes from the Middle English word obtainen, derived from the Latin obtinere, meaning to hold on to, possess. Attain morphed from the Middle English atteynen, from the French word ateindre (to reach, to accomplish), which came from the Latin attingere, meaning to touch.
Obtain can mean to gain, usually by planned action or effort. The information was difficult to obtain. We obtained a copy of the original letter. Attain implies to reach or achieve. She attained her goal of 10,000 steps for 30 days in a row. He attained the ripe old age of 100 last year. He will probably attain a height of over six feet when he finishes growing.
Obtain can also be used to mean to occur or hold true. The ideas of colonialism no longer obtain to our generation.
Obtain can also sometimes be used in the sense of getting intangible things. She obtained the leadership of the party at the convention last month. This meaning then applies to my original statement of obtaining information.
It can get challenging to choose which word to use in some cases. Jeff attained/obtained the highest grade in the class. In this case, "grade" could be tangible, as in a letter A printed on a report card. It also could be intangible, as a reference to a goal Jeff reached when he received an A. Generally, attain is used with abstract meanings, and obtain is used with tangible or concrete objects. However, like many instances in the English language, there are exceptions. Sometimes you must make a call and go with it. Most people will not know the difference anyway. Is that because they have not obtained or attained the knowledge of the distinction? It’s your call.
John would like to know if anyone has a sincere interest in a relevant word that he could possibly research for an upcoming column. If so, please send your requests to [email protected]. Words will be selected according to relevance and research criteria. We cannot confirm that all words will be used.
The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author, and do not necessarily reflect the position of this publication.
