Receive vs. Get — What's the Difference?
By Maham Liaqat & Urooj Arif — Updated on March 8, 2024
"Receive" implies being given something, often formally, while "get" is more general, indicating obtaining or acquiring.
Difference Between Receive and Get
Table of Contents
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Key Differences
"Receive" typically suggests a more formal or expected process of being given something, such as receiving a letter or an award. It often implies an element of passivity, where the action is done to the person rather than by them. On the other hand, "get" is a more versatile and casual term that can mean to obtain, acquire, or become. It implies a broader range of actions and is used in a wide variety of contexts.
When it comes to communication, "receive" is often used to refer to the act of getting messages, emails, or calls, suggesting a one-way transfer to the recipient. "Get," however, can also imply this but is less formal and can be used in more varied situations, such as getting a drink, getting a job, or getting ready.
In legal or formal documents, "receive" is more commonly used due to its precise nature and the implication of something being formally bestowed or given. "Get" might be considered too informal or vague for such contexts.
The nuances of "receive" can imply a level of gratitude or acknowledgment of the giver, whereas "get" is more neutral, focusing on the act of acquisition without necessarily acknowledging the source or the process.
Both "receive" and "get" have various forms and tenses that adapt to different contexts, but "receive" tends to maintain its formal tone across uses, while "get" can be informal or formal depending on the context, especially with its different forms like "got" and "gotten" (in American English).
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Comparison Chart
Connotation
Formal, implies being given something
General, implies obtaining or acquiring something
Usage
More common in formal or expected situations
Versatile, used in both casual and formal contexts
Communication
Often used for messages, emails, calls
Used broadly, not limited to communication
Formality
Preferred in formal contexts
Can be informal or formal, depending on the context
Implication
Suggests acknowledgment of the giver
Focuses on the act of acquisition, neutral about source
Compare with Definitions
Receive
To be given something.
I received a beautiful gift from my friend.
Get
To obtain or acquire.
I need to get some groceries for dinner.
Receive
To accept formally.
The ambassador received the credentials at the ceremony.
Get
To become or come to be.
It's getting late; we should head home.
Receive
To be the recipient of a signal or message.
Did you receive my email yesterday?
Get
To arrive or reach a place.
What time did you get to the office?
Receive
To welcome or greet, especially formally.
The president was received by the local governor.
Get
To cause something to be done.
Can you get the door for me?
Receive
To react to something in a specified way.
The news was received with great joy.
Get
To understand or comprehend.
Do you get what I'm saying?
Receive
To take or acquire (something given or offered); get or be given
Receive a present.
Get
Come to have (something); receive
I got a letter from him the other day
What kind of reception did you get?
Receive
To be the person who gets (something sent or transmitted)
Receive an email.
Get
Succeed in attaining, achieving, or experiencing; obtain
He got a teaching job in California
I need all the sleep I can get
Receive
(Sports) To catch or get possession of (a pass or a kicked ball, for example).
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
Receive
To have (a title, for example) bestowed on oneself.
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
Receive
To hear or see (information, for example)
Receive bad news.
Get
See have
Receive
To perceive or acquire mentally
Receive a bad impression.
Get
Catch or apprehend (someone)
The police have got him
Receive
To regard with approval or disapproval
Ideas that were received well.
Get
Understand (an argument or the person making it)
What do you mean? I don't get it
Receive
To listen to and acknowledge formally and authoritatively
The judge received their oath of allegiance.
Get
Acquire (knowledge) by study; learn
That knowledge which is gotten at school
Receive
To take in and convert (radio waves, for example) into an electrical signal or into an audio or visual output.
Get
An animal's offspring.
Receive
To experience or be subjected to; meet with
Receive sympathetic treatment.
Get
A person whom the speaker dislikes or despises.
Receive
To have inflicted or imposed on oneself
Receive a penalty.
Get
To come into possession or use of; receive
Got a cat for her birthday.
Receive
To bear the weight or force of; support
The beams receive the full weight of the walls and roof.
Get
To meet with or incur
Got nothing but trouble for her efforts.
Receive
To take or intercept the impact of (a blow, for example).
Get
To go after and obtain
Got a book at the library.
Got breakfast in town.
Receive
To be exposed to or withstand
The hillside cottage receives strong winds.
Get
To go after and bring
Get me a pillow.
Receive
To take in, hold, or contain
A tank that receives rainwater.
Get
To purchase; buy
Get groceries.
Receive
To admit or accept
Receive new members.
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.
Receive
To greet, welcome, or be visited by
Receive guests.
Get
To earn
Got high marks in math.
Receive
To acquire or get something; be a recipient.
Get
To accomplish or attain as a result of military action.
Receive
To admit or welcome guests or visitors
The couple are not receiving this winter.
Get
To obtain by concession or request
Couldn't get the time off.
Got permission to go.
Receive
To partake of the Eucharist.
Get
To arrive at; reach
When did you get home?.
Receive
To convert incoming electromagnetic signals into sound, light, or electrical signals.
Get
To reach and board; catch
She got her plane two minutes before takeoff.
Receive
(Sports) To receive a pass or a kicked ball, for example.
Get
To succeed in communicating with, as by telephone
Can't get me at the office until nine.
Receive
To take, as something that is offered, given, committed, sent, paid, etc.; to accept; to be given something.
She received many presents for her birthday.
Get
To become affected with (an illness, for example) by infection or exposure; catch
Get the flu.
Got the mumps.
Receive
(law) To take goods knowing them to be stolen.
Get
To be subjected to; undergo
Got a severe concussion.
Receive
To act as a host for guests; to give admittance to; to permit to enter, as into one's house, presence, company, etc.
To receive a lodger, visitor, ambassador, messenger, etc.
Get
To receive as retribution or punishment
Got six years in prison for tax fraud.
Receive
To allow (a custom, tradition, etc.); to give credence or acceptance to.
Get
To sustain a specified injury to
Got my arm broken.
Receive
(telecommunications) To detect a signal from a transmitter.
Get
To perceive or become aware of by one of the senses
Get a whiff of perfume.
Got a look at the schedule.
Receive
(sports) To be in a position to take possession, or hit back the ball.
Get
To gain or have understanding of
Do you get this question?.
Receive
To be in a position to hit back a service.
Get
To learn (a poem, for example) by heart; memorize.
Receive
(American football) To be in a position to catch a forward pass.
Get
To find or reach by calculating
Get a total.
Can't get the answer.
Receive
To accept into the mind; to understand.
Get
To procreate; beget
“Is my life given me for nothing but to get children and work to bring them up?” (D.H. Lawrence).
Receive
(telecommunications) An operation in which data is received.
Get
To cause to become or be in a specified state or condition
Got the children tired and cross.
Got the shirt clean.
Receive
To take, as something that is offered, given, committed, sent, paid, or the like; to accept; as, to receive money offered in payment of a debt; to receive a gift, a message, or a letter.
Receyven all in gree that God us sent.
Get
To make ready; prepare
Get lunch for the family.
Receive
Hence: To gain the knowledge of; to take into the mind by assent to; to give admission to; to accept, as an opinion, notion, etc.; to embrace.
Our hearts receive your warnings.
The idea of solidity we receive by our touch.
Get
To cause to come or go
Got the car through traffic.
Receive
To allow, as a custom, tradition, or the like; to give credence or acceptance to.
Many other things there be which they have received to hold, as the washing of cups, and pots.
Get
To cause to move or leave
Get me out of here!.
Receive
To give admittance to; to permit to enter, as into one's house, presence, company, and the like; as, to receive a lodger, visitor, ambassador, messenger, etc.
They kindled a fire, and received us every one.
Get
To cause to undertake or perform; prevail on
Got the guide to give us the complete tour.
Receive
To admit; to take in; to hold; to contain; to have capacity for; to be able to take in.
The brazen altar that was before the Lord was too little to receive the burnt offerings.
Get
To take, especially by force; seize
The detective got the suspect as he left the restaurant.
Receive
To be affected by something; to suffer; to be subjected to; as, to receive pleasure or pain; to receive a wound or a blow; to receive damage.
Against his will he can receive no harm.
Get
(Informal) To overcome or destroy
The ice storm got the rose bushes.
Receive
To take from a thief, as goods known to be stolen.
Get
To evoke an emotional response or reaction in
Romantic music really gets me.
Receive
To bat back (the ball) when served.
Who, if we knewWhat we receive, would either not acceptLife offered, or soon beg to lay it down.
Get
To annoy or irritate
What got me was his utter lack of initiative.
Receive
To receive visitors; to be at home to receive calls; as, she receives on Tuesdays.
Get
To present a difficult problem to; puzzle
“It's the suspect's indifference that gets me,” the detective said.
Receive
To return, or bat back, the ball when served; as, it is your turn to receive.
Get
(Informal) To hit or strike
She got him on the chin. The bullet got him in the arm.
Receive
Get something; come into possession of;
Receive payment
Receive a gift
Receive letters from the front
Get
(Baseball) To put out or strike out
Got the batter with a cut fastball.
Receive
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
To have current possession of. Used in the present perfect form with the meaning of the present
We've got plenty of cash.
Receive
Recieve (perceptual input);
Pick up a signal
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.
Receive
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
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.
Receive
Express willingness to have in one's home or environs;
The community warmly received the refugees
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.
Receive
Accept as true or valid;
He received Christ
Get
To become or grow to be
Eventually got well.
Receive
Bid welcome to; greet upon arrival
Get
To be successful in coming or going
When will we get to Dallas?.
Receive
Convert into sounds or pictures;
Receive the incoming radio signals
Get
To be able or permitted
Never got to see Europe.
Finally got to work at home.
Receive
Experience as a reaction;
My proposal met with much opposition
Get
To be successful in becoming
Get free of a drug problem.
Receive
Have or give a reception;
The lady is receiving Sunday morning
Get
Used with the past participle of transitive verbs as a passive voice auxiliary
Got stung by a bee.
Receive
Receive as a retribution or punishment;
He got 5 years in prison
Get
To become drawn in, entangled, or involved
Got into debt.
Get into a hassle.
Receive
Partake of the Holy Eucharist sacrament
Get
(Informal) To depart immediately
Yelled at the dog to get.
Receive
Regard favorably or with disapproval;
Her new collection of poems was not well received
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
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
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
Is "get" appropriate for formal writing?
It can be, depending on the context, but in very formal writing, alternatives like "receive" or "obtain" might be preferred.
How do "get" and "receive" differ in legal contexts?
In legal contexts, "receive" is often preferred for its precision and formality, whereas "get" might be considered too vague or informal.
How does the context change the use of "get" and "receive"?
"Receive" maintains a formal tone across contexts, focusing on the act of being given something. "Get" adapts to the context, ranging from informal to formal, and can imply various actions beyond just receiving.
Is "receive" always more formal than "get"?
Generally, yes. "Receive" is often used in more formal contexts, whereas "get" can be informal or formal.
Do "get" and "receive" have the same level of gratitude implied?
"Receive" often implies a level of gratitude or acknowledgment of the giver, while "get" is more neutral and focuses on the acquisition.
Can "get" and "receive" be used interchangeably?
In some contexts, they can be, especially when referring to the act of obtaining something, but "receive" often carries a more formal or passive connotation.
Can "receive" be used in all the same contexts as "get"?
While "receive" can be used in many contexts where "get" is applicable, its formal tone may not always be suitable for casual situations where "get" is preferred.
How does the use of "receive" in communication differ from "get"?
"Receive" is specifically used for one-way transfers, like receiving a call or message, whereas "get" can be used more broadly and is not limited to communication.
Does "receive" imply passivity?
Yes, "receive" often implies that the action is done to the person rather than by them, indicating a level of passivity.
What are the past tense forms of "get" and "receive"?
"Received" is the past tense of "receive," while "got" is the past tense of "get" in both American and British English, with "gotten" as another past participle form used in American English.
Can "get" and "receive" both indicate understanding or acknowledgment?
"Receive" can imply understanding in contexts like receiving news, but "get" is more direct in indicating comprehension, as in "getting" a joke.
Is "get" more common in spoken English than "receive"?
Yes, "get" is more commonly used in spoken English due to its versatility and less formal tone.
Can "get" imply causation in a way that "receive" cannot?
Yes, "get" can imply causation, as in getting someone to do something, a nuance not typically associated with "receive".
How do "receive" and "get" function in passive and active voice?
"Receive" is naturally passive, indicating something is given to the subject. "Get" can be used in both active and passive constructions, adding to its versatility.
How do the idiomatic uses of "get" compare to "receive"?
"Get" has numerous idiomatic uses, such as "get going" or "get rid of," which have no equivalents with "receive," highlighting "get's" versatility in colloquial language.
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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.
