ottenuto

Ottenuto is the past participle of ottenere, an Italian verb meaning to obtain, acquire, or achieve. It is used to form perfect tenses with the auxiliary avere (ho ottenuto, hai ottenuto, ha ottenuto) and can also function as an adjective meaning "obtained" or "acquired" (un risultato ottenuto, una laurea ottenuta).

In grammar, the participle with avere generally remains invariable unless there is a preceding direct object, in which case it may agree in gender and number with that object. For example: Le ho ottenute (I have obtained them), where the feminine plural direct object precedes the participle; Ho ottenuto i documenti (I obtained the documents), where the direct object follows and no agreement occurs.

Common meanings and usage include obtaining permissions, prizes, qualifications, and results. Collocations include ottenere il permesso, ottenere un premio, ottenere risultati, ottenere una laurea, and ottenere vantaggi. The phrase can imply effort or perseverance, as in ottenere qualcosa con impegno.

Etymology traces ottenuto to Latin obtinēre, formed from ob- “toward, against” plus tenēre “to hold,” indicating the sense of holding or possessing something obtained. The form entered Italian as ottenere, with ottenuto as its standard past participle.

Related terms include ottenere (the infinitive), ottenibile (obtainable), and the feminine/masculine plural forms ottenuta, ottenuti, ottenute when used as an adjective. The word is widely used across formal and informal registers to describe the attainment of rights, rewards, or goals.