get

The word “get” means to come to have or receive something; to obtain. In plain terms, one of the most common and flexible English verbs — covering obtaining, becoming, arriving, understanding, and forming casual passives.

“Get” is pronounced geht (/ɡɛt/ in IPA).

Here is “get” used in a sentence: “Did you get my message yesterday?”

“Get” is a verb.

The word “get” comes from Old Norse. From Old Norse geta, ultimately from a Proto-Indo-European root meaning "to seize" or "to hold" — one of the most flexible and frequently used verbs in English.

“Get” is a very common word in modern English, usually learned at around the A1 level.

“Get” has 7 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: to come to have or receive something; to obtain.

Both can mean to come to have something, but 'get' is broader and more informal — you can get something by buying, fetching, or being given it. 'Receive' is more formal and usually passive: it is something handed or sent to you. You get a coffee, but you receive a letter.

'Get' is informal and extremely versatile, which is why formal writing often replaces it with precise verbs like 'obtain,' 'acquire,' or 'receive.' There is nothing wrong with 'get' in everyday speech and casual writing, but a report might prefer 'the team obtained the results.'

'Get' is one of English's most flexible verbs. Beyond 'obtain' ('get a ticket'), it can mean become ('get tired'), arrive ('get home'), understand ('I get it'), or cause something ('get it fixed'). Context decides the sense, which is why it appears in countless everyday phrases.

In 'can you get some bread on the way home?' 'get' means to obtain or fetch. Other examples include 'she got a new job' (acquired) and 'I got your message' (received). In each one, 'get' describes coming to have something.