Get vs. Retrieve — What's the Difference?
By Maham Liaqat & Urooj Arif — Updated on April 30, 2024
"Get" is a general term for obtaining something, whereas "retrieve" specifically implies recovering or regaining something previously stored or placed.
Difference Between Get and Retrieve
Table of Contents
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Key Differences
"Get" is a versatile verb used broadly in English to indicate the action of obtaining, receiving, or becoming something. Whereas "retrieve" is more specific, often used to describe the action of getting something back from a place or restoring information from a storage system.
In everyday language, "get" can be used in countless contexts, such as getting a drink, getting an idea, or getting angry. On the other hand, "retrieve" is used in contexts where something is brought back or recovered, like retrieving data from a database or retrieving a ball during a game.
The term "get" is often used in casual and formal conversations alike, making it one of the most commonly used verbs in the English language. However, "retrieve" carries a slightly more formal tone and is less commonly used in everyday speech.
In the realm of technology, "retrieve" is frequently used to refer to the process of accessing data from memory or a database. Whereas "get" can be used in programming and technology as well, but often in a broader sense, such as getting a response from a server.
Both "get" and "retrieve" function as verbs, but "retrieve" typically involves an element of returning or restoring something that was previously available or in possession. Whereas "get" does not inherently carry this nuance of recovery or restoration.
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Comparison Chart
General Meaning
Obtain or receive any item or concept
Recover or regain something stored or lost
Usage Contexts
Broad, any item or concept
Specific, often data or misplaced items
Formality
Casual and conversational
More formal, technical
Common Applications
Shopping, learning, gaining access
Data recovery, recalling information
Metaphorical Use
Understanding concepts, acquiring skills
Recalling memories, recovering data
Compare with Definitions
Get
To come into possession of; receive.
She got her passport last week.
Retrieve
To recover something lost or stored.
The system can retrieve the document from its archives.
Get
To become or cause to become.
Get ready quickly.
Retrieve
To recall or remember.
I could not retrieve the name of the book.
Get
To understand something (informal).
Did you get the joke?
Retrieve
To rectify or repair a situation.
The team managed to retrieve their reputation with a win.
Get
To fetch or bring.
Please get me a glass of water.
Retrieve
To bring or fetch something back.
The dog was trained to retrieve the ball.
Get
To reach or arrive at a condition or situation.
He got to the office late today.
Retrieve
To restore or return to a previous state.
The software retrieves data from damaged disks.
Get
Come to have (something); receive
I got a letter from him the other day
What kind of reception did you get?
Retrieve
Get or bring (something) back from somewhere
Steven stooped and retrieved his hat
I was sent to retrieve the balls from his garden
Get
Succeed in attaining, achieving, or experiencing; obtain
He got a teaching job in California
I need all the sleep I can get
Retrieve
Find or extract (information stored in a computer)
Other features include the ability to store, update, retrieve, and print your data
Get
Reach or cause to reach a specified state or condition
I need to get my hair cut
He'd got thinner
It's getting late
You'll get used to it
Retrieve
Put right or improve (an unwelcome situation)
He made one last desperate attempt to retrieve the situation
Get
Come, go, or make progress eventually or with some difficulty
Nigel got home very late
He hadn't got very far with the book yet
Retrieve
An act of retrieving something, especially game that has been shot
Watch the dog make the long retrieves
Get
See have
Retrieve
The possibility of recovery
He ruined himself beyond retrieve
Get
Catch or apprehend (someone)
The police have got him
Retrieve
To get back into one's grasp, possession, or control, especially from a known place or a place of storage
Retrieved his coat from the closet.
Get
Understand (an argument or the person making it)
What do you mean? I don't get it
Retrieve
To go to and bring or escort back (someone)
Retrieved his friend from the bus station.
Get
Acquire (knowledge) by study; learn
That knowledge which is gotten at school
Retrieve
To search for, find, and bring back
Divers retrieving artifacts from a shipwreck.
Get
An animal's offspring.
Retrieve
To search for, find, and carry back (killed game or a thrown object). Used of dogs.
Get
A person whom the speaker dislikes or despises.
Retrieve
To gain access to (stored information).
Get
To come into possession or use of; receive
Got a cat for her birthday.
Retrieve
To recall to mind (a memory, for example); remember.
Get
To meet with or incur
Got nothing but trouble for her efforts.
Retrieve
To rescue or save
Tried to retrieve him from the degradation of life as a runaway.
Get
To go after and obtain
Got a book at the library.
Got breakfast in town.
Retrieve
(Sports) To make a difficult but successful return of (a ball or shuttlecock, as in tennis or badminton).
Get
To go after and bring
Get me a pillow.
Retrieve
To restore to a former or desirable condition
Did whatever he could to retrieve his honor.
Get
To purchase; buy
Get groceries.
Retrieve
To rectify the unfavorable consequences of; remedy
"An attempt was made to retrieve the blunder" (Francis Parkman).
Get
To acquire as a result of action or effort
He got his information from the internet. You can't get water out of a stone.
Retrieve
To find and bring back game or a thrown object
A dog trained to retrieve.
Get
To earn
Got high marks in math.
Retrieve
The act of retrieving; retrieval.
Get
To accomplish or attain as a result of military action.
Retrieve
(Sports) A difficult but successful return of a ball or shuttlecock.
Get
To obtain by concession or request
Couldn't get the time off.
Got permission to go.
Retrieve
(transitive) To regain or get back something.
To retrieve one's character or independence; to retrieve a thrown ball
Get
To arrive at; reach
When did you get home?.
Retrieve
(transitive) To rescue (a creature).
Get
To reach and board; catch
She got her plane two minutes before takeoff.
Retrieve
(transitive) To salvage something
Get
To succeed in communicating with, as by telephone
Can't get me at the office until nine.
Retrieve
(transitive) To remedy or rectify something.
Get
To become affected with (an illness, for example) by infection or exposure; catch
Get the flu.
Got the mumps.
Retrieve
(transitive) To remember or recall something.
Get
To be subjected to; undergo
Got a severe concussion.
Retrieve
(transitive) To fetch or carry back something, especially (computing) a file or data record.
Get
To receive as retribution or punishment
Got six years in prison for tax fraud.
Retrieve
(transitive) To fetch and bring in game.
The cook doesn't care what's shot, only what's actually retrieved.
Get
To sustain a specified injury to
Got my arm broken.
Retrieve
(intransitive) To fetch and bring in game systematically.
Dog breeds called 'retrievers' were selected for retrieving.
Get
To perceive or become aware of by one of the senses
Get a whiff of perfume.
Got a look at the schedule.
Retrieve
(intransitive) To fetch or carry back systematically, notably as a game.
Most dogs love retrieving, regardless of what object is thrown.
Get
To gain or have understanding of
Do you get this question?.
Retrieve
To make a difficult but successful return of the ball.
Get
To learn (a poem, for example) by heart; memorize.
Retrieve
(obsolete) To remedy the evil consequence of, to repair (a loss or damage).
Get
To find or reach by calculating
Get a total.
Can't get the answer.
Retrieve
A retrieval
Get
To procreate; beget
“Is my life given me for nothing but to get children and work to bring them up?” (D.H. Lawrence).
Retrieve
(sports) The return of a difficult ball
Get
To cause to become or be in a specified state or condition
Got the children tired and cross.
Got the shirt clean.
Retrieve
(obsolete) A seeking again; a discovery.
Get
To make ready; prepare
Get lunch for the family.
Retrieve
(obsolete) The recovery of game once sprung.
Get
To cause to come or go
Got the car through traffic.
Retrieve
To find again; to recover; to regain; to restore from loss or injury; as, to retrieve one's character; to retrieve independence.
With late repentance now they would retrieveThe bodies they forsook, and wish to live.
Get
To cause to move or leave
Get me out of here!.
Retrieve
To recall; to bring back.
To retrieve them from their cold, trivial conceits.
Get
To cause to undertake or perform; prevail on
Got the guide to give us the complete tour.
Retrieve
To remedy the evil consequence of, to repair, as a loss or damadge.
Accept my sorrow, and retrieve my fall.
There is much to be done . . . and much to be retrieved.
Get
To take, especially by force; seize
The detective got the suspect as he left the restaurant.
Retrieve
To discover and bring in game that has been killed or wounded; as, a dog naturally inclined to retrieve.
Get
(Informal) To overcome or destroy
The ice storm got the rose bushes.
Retrieve
A seeking again; a discovery.
Get
To evoke an emotional response or reaction in
Romantic music really gets me.
Retrieve
The recovery of game once sprung; - an old sporting term.
Get
To annoy or irritate
What got me was his utter lack of initiative.
Retrieve
Get or find back; recover the use of;
She regained control of herself
She found her voice and replied quickly
Get
To present a difficult problem to; puzzle
“It's the suspect's indifference that gets me,” the detective said.
Retrieve
Of trained dogs
Get
To take revenge on, especially to kill in revenge for a wrong.
Retrieve
Recall knowledge from memory; have a recollection;
I can't remember saying any such thing
I can't think what her last name was
Can you remember her phone number?
Do you remember that he once loved you?
Call up memories
Get
(Informal) To hit or strike
She got him on the chin. The bullet got him in the arm.
Get
(Baseball) To put out or strike out
Got the batter with a cut fastball.
Get
To begin or start. Used with the present participle
I have to get working on this or I'll miss my deadline.
Get
To have current possession of. Used in the present perfect form with the meaning of the present
We've got plenty of cash.
Get
(Nonstandard) To have current possession of. Used in the past tense form with the meaning of the present
They got a nice house in town.
Get
To have as an obligation. Used in the present perfect form with the meaning of the present
I have got to leave early. You've got to do the dishes.
Get
(Nonstandard) To have as an obligation. Used in the past tense with the meaning of the present
They got to clean up this mess.
Get
To become or grow to be
Eventually got well.
Get
To be successful in coming or going
When will we get to Dallas?.
Get
To be able or permitted
Never got to see Europe.
Finally got to work at home.
Get
To be successful in becoming
Get free of a drug problem.
Get
Used with the past participle of transitive verbs as a passive voice auxiliary
Got stung by a bee.
Get
To become drawn in, entangled, or involved
Got into debt.
Get into a hassle.
Get
(Informal) To depart immediately
Yelled at the dog to get.
Get
To work for gain or profit; make money
Do you feel as though you're exhausting yourself getting and not making enough for spending?.
Get
Progeny; offspring
A thoroughbred's get.
Get
Chiefly British Slang git2.
Get
(Sports) A return, as in tennis, on a shot that seems impossible to reach.
Get
A document presented by a husband to his wife whereby a divorce is effected between them according to Jewish religious law.
Get
A divorce effected by a get.
Get
(ditransitive) To obtain; to acquire.
I'm going to get a computer tomorrow from the discount store.
Lance is going to get Mary a ring.
Get
(transitive) To receive.
I got a computer from my parents for my birthday.
You need to get permission to leave early.
He got a severe reprimand for that.
Get
To have. See usage notes.
I've got a concert ticket for you.
Get
(transitive) To fetch, bring, take.
Can you get my bag from the living-room, please?
I need to get this to the office.
Get
(copulative) To become, or cause oneself to become.
I'm getting hungry; how about you?
I'm going out to get drunk.
Get
(transitive) To cause to become; to bring about.
That song gets me so depressed every time I hear it.
I'll get this finished by lunchtime.
I can't get these boots off (or on).
Get
(transitive) To cause to do.
Somehow she got him to agree to it.
I can't get it to work.
Get
(transitive) To cause to come or go or move.
I got him to his room.
Get
To adopt, assume, arrive at, or progress towards (a certain position, location, state).
The actors are getting into position.
When are we going to get to London?
I'm getting into a muddle.
We got behind the wall.
Get
(transitive) To cover (a certain distance) while travelling.
To get a mile
Get
(intransitive) To begin (doing something or to do something).
We ought to get moving or we'll be late.
After lunch we got chatting.
I'm getting to like him better now.
Get
(transitive) To take or catch (a scheduled transportation service).
I normally get the 7:45 train.
I'll get the 9 a.m. [flight] to Boston.
Get
(transitive) To respond to (a telephone call, a doorbell, etc).
Can you get that call, please? I'm busy.
Get
To be able, be permitted, or have the opportunity (to do something desirable or ironically implied to be desirable).
I'm so jealous that you got to see them perform live!
The finders get to keep 80 percent of the treasure.
Great. I get to clean the toilets today.
Get
To be told; be the recipient of (a question, comparison, opinion, etc.).
"You look just like Helen Mirren." / "I get that a lot."
Get
(informal) To be. Used to form the passive of verbs.
He got bitten by a dog.
Get
(transitive) To become ill with or catch (a disease).
I went on holiday and got malaria.
Get
To catch out, trick successfully.
He keeps calling pretending to be my boss—it gets me every time.
Get
To perplex, stump.
That question's really got me.
Get
(transitive) To find as an answer.
What did you get for question four?
Get
To bring to reckoning; to catch (as a criminal); to effect retribution.
The cops finally got me.
I'm gonna get him for that.
Get
(transitive) To hear completely; catch.
Sorry, I didn't get that. Could you repeat it?
Get
(transitive) To getter.
I put the getter into the container to get the gases.
Get
To beget (of a father).
Get
(archaic) To learn; to commit to memory; to memorize; sometimes with out.
To get a lesson;
To get out one's Greek lesson
Get
Used with a personal pronoun to indicate that someone is being pretentious or grandiose.
Get her with her new hairdo.
Get
To go, to leave; to scram.
Get
(euphemism) To kill.
They’re coming to get you, Barbara.
Get
To make acquisitions; to gain; to profit.
Get
(transitive) To measure.
Did you get her temperature?
Get
(dated) Offspring.
Get
Lineage.
Get
A difficult return or block of a shot.
Get
(informal) Something gained; an acquisition.
Get
A git.
Get
(Judaism) A Jewish writ of divorce.
Get
Jet, the mineral.
Get
Fashion; manner; custom.
Get
Artifice; contrivance.
Get
Offspring; progeny; as, the get of a stallion.
Get
A divorce granted by a Rabbi in accordance with Jewish law; also, the document attesting to the divorce.
Get
To procure; to obtain; to gain possession of; to acquire; to earn; to obtain as a price or reward; to come by; to win, by almost any means; as, to get favor by kindness; to get wealth by industry and economy; to get land by purchase, etc.
Get
Hence, with have and had, to come into or be in possession of; to have.
Thou hast got the face of man.
Get
To beget; to procreate; to generate.
I had rather to adopt a child than get it.
Get
To obtain mental possession of; to learn; to commit to memory; to memorize; as to get a lesson; also with out; as, to get out one's Greek lesson.
It being harder with him to get one sermon by heart, than to pen twenty.
Get
To prevail on; to induce; to persuade.
Get him to say his prayers.
Get
To procure to be, or to cause to be in any state or condition; - with a following participle.
Those things I bid you do; get them dispatched.
Get
To betake; to remove; - in a reflexive use.
Get thee out from this land.
He . . . got himself . . . to the strong town of Mega.
Get
To make acquisition; to gain; to profit; to receive accessions; to be increased.
We mourn, France smiles; we lose, they daily get.
Get
To arrive at, or bring one's self into, a state, condition, or position; to come to be; to become; - with a following adjective or past participle belonging to the subject of the verb; as, to get sober; to get awake; to get beaten; to get elected.
To get rid of fools and scoundrels.
His chariot wheels get hot by driving fast.
Get
Come into the possession of something concrete or abstract;
She got a lot of paintings from her uncle
They acquired a new pet
Get your results the next day
Get permission to take a few days off from work
Get
Enter or assume a certain state or condition;
He became annoyed when he heard the bad news
It must be getting more serious
Her face went red with anger
She went into ecstasy
Get going!
Get
Cause to move; cause to be in a certain position or condition;
He got his squad on the ball
This let me in for a big surprise
He got a girl into trouble
Get
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
Get
Reach a destination; arrive by movement or progress;
She arrived home at 7 o'clock
She didn't get to Chicago until after midnight
Get
Go or come after and bring or take back;
Get me those books over there, please
Could you bring the wine?
The dog fetched the hat
Get
Of mental or physical states or experiences;
Get an idea
Experience vertigo
Get nauseous
Undergo a strange sensation
The chemical undergoes a sudden change
The fluid undergoes shear
Receive injuries
Have a feeling
Get
Take vengeance on or get even;
We'll get them!
That'll fix him good!
This time I got him
Get
Achieve a point or goal;
Nicklaus had a 70
The Brazilian team got 4 goals
She made 29 points that day
Get
Cause to do; cause to act in a specified manner;
The ads induced me to buy a VCR
My children finally got me to buy a computer
My wife made me buy a new sofa
Get
Succeed in catching or seizing, especially after a chase;
We finally got the suspect
Did you catch the thief?
Get
Come to have or undergo a change of (physical features and attributes);
He grew a beard
The patient developed abdominal pains
I got funny spots all over my body
Well-developed breasts
Get
Be stricken by an illness, fall victim to an illness;
He got AIDS
She came down with pneumonia
She took a chill
Get
Communicate with a place or person; establish communication with, as if by telephone;
Bill called this number and he got Mary
The operator couldn't get Kobe because of the earthquake
Get
Give certain properties to something;
Get someone mad
She made us look silly
He made a fool of himself at the meeting
Don't make this into a big deal
This invention will make you a millionaire
Make yourself clear
Get
Move into a desired direction of discourse;
What are you driving at?
Get
Grasp with the mind or develop an undersatnding of;
Did you catch that allusion?
We caught something of his theory in the lecture
Don't catch your meaning
Did you get it?
She didn't get the joke
I just don't get him
Get
Attract and fix;
His look caught her
She caught his eye
Catch the attention of the waiter
Get
Reach with a blow or hit in a particular spot;
The rock caught her in the back of the head
The blow got him in the back
The punch caught him in the stomach
Get
Reach by calculation;
What do you get when you add up these numbers?
Get
Acquire as a result of some effort or action;
You cannot get water out of a stone
Where did she get these news?
Get
Purchase;
What did you get at the toy store?
Get
Perceive by hearing;
I didn't catch your name
She didn't get his name when they met the first time
Get
Suffer from the receipt of;
She will catch hell for this behavior!
Get
Receive as a retribution or punishment;
He got 5 years in prison
Get
Leave immediately; used usually in the imperative form;
Scram!
Get
Reach and board;
She got the bus just as it was leaving
Get
Irritate;
Her childish behavior really get to me
His lying really gets me
Get
Evoke an emotional response;
Brahms's `Requiem' gets me every time
Get
Apprehend and reproduce accurately;
She really caught the spirit of the place in her drawings
She got the mood just right in her photographs
Get
In baseball: earn or achieve a base by being walked by the pitcher;
He drew a base on balls
Get
Overcome or destroy;
The ice storm got my hibiscus
The cat got the goldfish
Get
Be a mystery or bewildering to;
This beats me!
Got me--I don't know the answer!
A vexing problem
This question really stuck me
Get
Take the first step or steps in carrying out an action;
We began working at dawn
Who will start?
Get working as soon as the sun rises!
The first tourists began to arrive in Cambodia
He began early in the day
Let's get down to work now
Get
Undergo (as of injuries and illnesses);
She suffered a fracture in the accident
He had an insulin shock after eating three candy bars
She got a bruise on her leg
He got his arm broken in the scuffle
Get
Make children;
Abraham begot Isaac
Men often father children but don't recognize them
Common Curiosities
What does "get" mean?
"Get" means to obtain, receive, or come into possession of something.
Can "get" and "retrieve" be used interchangeably?
While they can sometimes be used interchangeably, "retrieve" typically implies a specific action of recovery, making it less versatile than "get."
What does "retrieve" mean?
"Retrieve" means to recover or bring back something that has been stored, lost, or forgotten.
What does it mean to "retrieve a memory"?
To "retrieve a memory" means to recall or remember a past experience or information.
When should I use "get" instead of "retrieve"?
Use "get" for general contexts of acquiring or understanding something, and "retrieve" when specifically talking about recovery or fetching stored items.
What is a common use of "retrieve" in technology?
In technology, "retrieve" is commonly used to describe the recovery of data or files from storage systems.
Is "retrieve" more formal than "get"?
Yes, "retrieve" tends to be more formal and is often used in professional or technical contexts.
Can "retrieve" imply physical effort?
Yes, "retrieve" can imply a physical effort, especially in contexts like retrieving something from a physical location.
What does it mean to "get a concept"?
To "get a concept" means to understand or grasp an idea or theory.
How does "get" function in informal language?
In informal language, "get" can function as a versatile verb for obtaining, understanding, or becoming something.
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Written by
Maham Liaqat
Co-written by
Urooj ArifUrooj is a skilled content writer at Ask Difference, known for her exceptional ability to simplify complex topics into engaging and informative content. With a passion for research and a flair for clear, concise writing, she consistently delivers articles that resonate with our diverse audience.
