争 (to fight for) + 得 (to attain) — 'fight and obtain'. Stronger than 得到 (simply 'get') because it implies the result was contested. Often used for rights, support, opportunity, or recognition that had to be argued for.
mistakes
Don't confuse with the homograph 争得 (zhēngde) used as a rhetorical question 'how can one possibly...?' (literary). In modern prose 争得 almost always means 'to obtain through struggle' (zhēngdé).
