Gather vs. Obtain — What's the Difference?
Edited by Tayyaba Rehman — By Fiza Rafique — Updated on April 26, 2024
Gather involves collecting items or information from various sources often through physical or concerted effort, whereas obtain refers to acquiring or gaining possession of something through specific efforts or transactions.
Difference Between Gather and Obtain
Table of Contents
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Key Differences
Gather typically implies a process of collecting items, data, or resources from multiple sources, often involving a physical action or concerted effort. On the other hand, obtain is generally used to indicate the act of acquiring or coming into possession of something, which can involve purchasing, winning, or receiving.
While gathering often requires active effort and may be used in contexts like collecting natural resources or assembling information, obtaining usually denotes a successful acquisition that might follow negotiations or formal procedures. For example, you gather facts for a research paper, whereas you obtain permission to access restricted files.
Gather can also have a broader, more informal connotation, applicable to things like people or ideas, where the focus is more on the act of bringing together rather than the possession. In contrast, obtain carries a formal tone, emphasizing the outcome of possession or ownership, such as obtaining a degree or a license.
In terms of usage, gather is often associated with less formal and more physically inclusive activities, such as gathering apples in an orchard. Whereas, obtain is used in contexts that imply legal or formal acquisition, like obtaining a patent.
Gather can imply a gradual or ongoing process without a definitive endpoint, such as gathering knowledge throughout life. Obtain, however, typically indicates a completed transaction or achievement, marking a clear endpoint, such as obtaining a needed item.
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Comparison Chart
Connotation
Collection from multiple sources, often physical effort
Formal acquisition, implying possession
Usage Context
Informal and broad, including ideas and people
Formal and specific, often legal or transactional
Outcome
Assembling or bringing together
Gaining possession or ownership
Process
Can be ongoing or repetitive
Often denotes a completed or definitive action
Typical Examples
Gathering information, fruits, attendees
Obtaining permissions, goods, degrees
Compare with Definitions
Gather
To bring together or collect from different places.
She likes to gather seashells on the beach.
Obtain
To come into possession of something, usually by effort.
She managed to obtain rare stamps for her collection.
Gather
To accumulate or assemble a variety of things.
He gathered a significant amount of data for his thesis.
Obtain
To acquire through a formal or legal process.
He obtained the necessary permits to start construction.
Gather
To come together or cause to come together.
We will gather at noon for the meeting.
Obtain
To be prevalent or customary.
Such practices obtain in certain areas of the country.
Gather
To infer or understand from given information.
From his tone, she gathered that he was upset.
Obtain
To succeed in achieving or reaching something.
After years of study, he finally obtained his PhD.
Gather
To draw parts of something into a group or mass.
She gathered the fabric to create pleats.
Obtain
To secure or procure something desired or necessary.
They hope to obtain funding for their new project.
Gather
Come together; assemble or accumulate
As soon as a crowd gathered, the police came
Obtain
To succeed in gaining possession of as the result of planning or endeavor; acquire.
Gather
Bring together and take in from scattered places or sources
Information that we have gathered about people
Obtain
To be in existence, in effect, or customary
"standards, proprieties that no longer obtain" (Meg Greenfield).
Gather
Increase in (speed, force, etc.)
The destroyer gathered speed
Obtain
(Archaic) To succeed.
Gather
Infer; understand
I gathered that they were old friends
Obtain
(transitive) To get hold of; to gain possession of, to procure; to acquire, in any way.
Gather
Summon up (a mental or physical attribute) for a purpose
She lay gathering her thoughts together
He gathered himself for a tremendous leap
Obtain
To secure (that) a specific objective or state of affairs be reached.
Gather
Draw and hold together (fabric or a part of a garment) by running thread through it
The front is gathered at the waist
Obtain
To prevail, be victorious; to succeed.
Gather
A part of a garment that is gathered.
Obtain
To hold; to keep, possess or occupy.
Gather
To collect from different places; assemble
Gather the pieces of a puzzle.
Gather information.
Obtain
To exist or be the case; to hold true, be in force.
Gather
To cause to come together; convene
The teacher gathered the students around the exhibit.
Obtain
To hold; to keep; to possess.
His mother, then, is mortal, but his SireHe who obtains the monarchy of heaven.
Gather
To draw (something or someone) closer to oneself
Gathered the shawl about my shoulders.
Gathered the child in her arms.
Obtain
To get hold of by effort; to gain possession of; to procure; to acquire, in any way.
Some pray for riches; riches they obtain.
By guileful fair words peace may be obtained.
It may be that I may obtain children by her.
Gather
To draw into small folds or puckers, as by pulling a thread through cloth.
Obtain
To gain or have a firm footing; to be recognized or established; to become prevalent or general; to prevail; as, the custom obtains of going to the seashore in summer.
Sobriety hath by use obtained to signify temperance in drinking.
The Theodosian code, several hundred years after Justinian's time, did obtain in the western parts of Europe.
Gather
To contract and wrinkle (the brow).
Obtain
To prevail; to succeed.
So run that ye may obtain.
There is due from the judge to the advocate, some commendation, where causes are fair pleaded; especially towards the side which obtaineth not.
Gather
To harvest or pick
Gather crops.
Gather mushrooms.
Obtain
Come into possession of;
How did you obtain the visa?
Gather
To conclude or infer, as from evidence
I gather a decision has not been reached.
Obtain
Receive a specified treatment (abstract);
These aspects of civilization do not find expression or receive an interpretation
His movie received a good review
I got nothing but trouble for my good intentions
Gather
To summon up; muster
Gathered up his courage.
Obtain
Be valid, applicable, or true;
This theory still holds
Gather
To accumulate (something) gradually; amass
The top of the bookshelf gathered dust.
Gather
To attract or be the center of attraction for
The jugglers gathered a large crowd.
Gather
To gain by a process of gradual increase
Gather speed.
Gather
To pick up or collect (molten glass) using a tool in glassblowing.
Gather
To come together in a group; assemble
A crowd gathered in the lobby.
Gather
To accumulate
Dark clouds are gathering.
Gather
To grow or increase by degrees
The truck's speed gathered on the downslope.
Gather
To come to a head, as a boil; fester.
Gather
To forage for wild foodstuffs.
Gather
The act or an instance of gathering.
Gather
A small fold or pucker made by gathering cloth.
Gather
A mass of molten glass collected on the end of a blowpipe or other glassblowing tool.
Gather
To collect; normally separate things.
I've been gathering ideas from the people I work with.
She bent down to gather the reluctant cat from beneath the chair.
Gather
Especially, to harvest food.
We went to gather some blackberries from the nearby lane.
Gather
To accumulate over time, to amass little by little.
Over the years he'd gathered a considerable collection of mugs.
Gather
(intransitive) To congregate, or assemble.
People gathered round as he began to tell his story.
Gather
(intransitive) To grow gradually larger by accretion.
Gather
To bring parts of a whole closer.
She gathered the shawl about her as she stepped into the cold.
Gather
(sewing) To add pleats or folds to a piece of cloth, normally to reduce its width.
A gown should be gathered around the top so that it will remain shaped.
Gather
(knitting) To bring stitches closer together.
Be careful not to stretch or gather your knitting.
If you want to emphasise the shape, it is possible to gather the waistline.
Gather
(architecture) To bring together, or nearer together, in masonry, as for example where the width of a fireplace is rapidly diminished to the width of the flue.
Gather
(nautical) To haul in; to take up.
To gather the slack of a rope
Gather
To infer or conclude; to know from a different source.
From his silence, I gathered that things had not gone well.
I gather from Aunty May that you had a good day at the match.
Gather
To be filled with pus
Salt water can help boils to gather and then burst.
Gather
(glassblowing) To collect molten glass on the end of a tool.
Gather
To gain; to win.
Gather
A plait or fold in cloth, made by drawing a thread through it; a pucker.
Gather
The inclination forward of the axle journals to keep the wheels from working outward.
Gather
The soffit or under surface of the masonry required in gathering. See gather (transitive verb).
Gather
(glassblowing) A blob of molten glass collected on the end of a blowpipe.
Gather
A gathering.
Gather
To bring together; to collect, as a number of separate things, into one place, or into one aggregate body; to assemble; to muster; to congregate.
And Belgium's capital had gathered themHer beauty and her chivalry.
When he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together.
Gather
To pick out and bring together from among what is of less value; to collect, as a harvest; to harvest; to cull; to pick off; to pluck.
A rose just gathered from the stalk.
Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?
Gather us from among the heathen.
Gather
To accumulate by collecting and saving little by little; to amass; to gain; to heap up.
He that by usury and unjust gain increaseth his substance, he shall gather it for him that will pity the poor.
To pay the creditor . . . he must gather up money by degrees.
Gather
To bring closely together the parts or particles of; to contract; to compress; to bring together in folds or plaits, as a garment; also, to draw together, as a piece of cloth by a thread; to pucker; to plait; as, to gather a ruffle.
Gathering his flowing robe, he seemed to standIn act to speak, and graceful stretched his hand.
Gather
To derive, or deduce, as an inference; to collect, as a conclusion, from circumstances that suggest, or arguments that prove; to infer; to conclude.
Let me say no more!Gather the sequel by that went before.
Gather
To gain; to win.
He gathers ground upon her in the chase.
Gather
To bring together, or nearer together, in masonry, as where the width of a fireplace is rapidly diminished to the width of the flue, or the like.
Gather
To haul in; to take up; as, to gather the slack of a rope.
Gather
To come together; to collect; to unite; to become assembled; to congregate.
When small humors gather to a gout.
Tears from the depth of some divine despairRise in the heart, and gather to the eyes.
Gather
To grow larger by accretion; to increase.
Their snowball did not gather as it went.
Gather
To concentrate; to come to a head, as a sore, and generate pus; as, a boil has gathered.
Gather
To collect or bring things together.
Thou knewest that I reap where I sowed not, and gather where I have not strewed.
Gather
A plait or fold in cloth, made by drawing a thread through it; a pucker.
Gather
The inclination forward of the axle journals to keep the wheels from working outward.
Gather
Sewing consisting of small folds or puckers made by pulling tight a thread in a line of stitching
Gather
The act of gathering something
Gather
Assemble or get together;
Gather some stones
Pull your thoughts together
Gather
Collect in one place;
We assembled in the church basement
Let's gather in the dining room
Gather
Collect or gather;
Journals are accumulating in my office
The work keeps piling up
Gather
Conclude from evidence;
I gather you have not done your homework
Gather
Draw fabric together and sew it tightly
Gather
Get people together;
Assemble your colleagues
Get together all those who are interested in the project
Gather the close family members
Gather
Look for (food) in nature;
Our ancestors gathered nuts in the Fall
Common Curiosities
How can one obtain a passport?
To obtain a passport, one must apply through their country's government, providing necessary documents and fees.
What does it mean to gather information?
To gather information means to collect data or details from various sources, often through research or inquiry.
What is the difference between gathering and obtaining consent?
Gathering consent might involve discussing and persuading, while obtaining consent usually denotes a formal agreement has been reached.
What types of things can be gathered?
One can gather physical items like fruits, information, people for meetings, or even abstract concepts like support.
What types of things can be obtained?
Items, permissions, qualifications, and rights are typical examples of things that can be obtained.
How do the processes of gathering and obtaining differ?
Gathering involves collecting or amassing from various sources, often requiring physical or mental effort, while obtaining focuses on the successful achievement of acquiring something, typically through a structured or formal process.
Does gather imply ownership?
Gather does not necessarily imply ownership but more the action of collecting and bringing together.
Is gather always a physical activity?
While gather often involves physical activities, it can also refer to collecting intangible things like ideas or information.
Can obtain be used in informal contexts?
Obtain is typically used in more formal contexts and implies a more structured process of acquisition.
Can obtain refer to involuntary acquisition?
Obtain generally implies an element of intent and effort, so it does not usually apply to involuntary acquisitions.
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Written by
Fiza RafiqueFiza Rafique is a skilled content writer at AskDifference.com, where she meticulously refines and enhances written pieces. Drawing from her vast editorial expertise, Fiza ensures clarity, accuracy, and precision in every article. Passionate about language, she continually seeks to elevate the quality of content for readers worldwide.
Edited by
Tayyaba RehmanTayyaba Rehman is a distinguished writer, currently serving as a primary contributor to askdifference.com. As a researcher in semantics and etymology, Tayyaba's passion for the complexity of languages and their distinctions has found a perfect home on the platform. Tayyaba delves into the intricacies of language, distinguishing between commonly confused words and phrases, thereby providing clarity for readers worldwide.
