Join Us On

An Encyclopædia Britannica Company

Thesaurus

Medical

Scrabble^®

Spanish Central

Browse Dictionary Browse Thesaurus

Get our free apps!iPhone•iPad•Android

Dictionary

¹claim

verb \ˈklām\

: to say that (something) is true when some people may say it is not true

: to say that you have (something)

: to say that (something) belongs to you or that you deserve (something)

Full Definition of CLAIM

transitive verb

a : to ask for especially as a right <claimed the inheritance>

b : to call for : require <this matter claims our attention>

c : take 16b <the accident claimed her life>

: to take as the rightful owner

a : to assert in the face of possible contradiction : maintain <claimed that he'd been cheated>

b : to claim to have <organization … which claims 11,000 … members — Rolling Stone>

c : to assert to be rightfully one's own <claimed responsibility for the attack>

— claim·able \ˈklā-mə-bəl\ adjective

See claim defined for English-language learners

See claim defined for kids

Origin of CLAIM

Middle English, from Anglo-French claimer, clamer, from Latin clamare to cry out, shout; akin to Latin calare to call — more at low

First Known Use: 14th century

Related to CLAIM

Synonyms: affirm, allege, assert, aver, avouch, avow, contend, declare, insist, maintain, profess, protest, purport, warrant, put forth

Antonyms: deny, gainsay

Synonym Discussion of CLAIM

demand, claim, require, exact mean to ask or call for something as due or as necessary. demand implies peremptoriness and insistence and often the right to make requests that are to be regarded as commands <demanded payment of the debt>. claim implies a demand for the delivery or concession of something due as one's own or one's right <claimed the right to manage his own affairs>. require suggests the imperativeness that arises from inner necessity, compulsion of law or regulation, or the exigencies of the situation <the patient requires constant attention>. exact implies not only demanding but getting what one demands <exacts absolute loyalty>.

²claim

noun

: a statement saying that something happened a certain way or will happen a certain way : a statement saying that something is true when some people may say it is not true

: an official request for something (such as money) that is owed to you or that you believe is owed to you

: a right to have something

Full Definition of CLAIM

: a demand for something due or believed to be due <an insurance claim>

a : a right to something; specifically : a title to a debt, privilege, or other thing in the possession of another

b : an assertion open to challenge <a claim of authenticity>

: something that is claimed; especially : a tract of land staked out

See claim defined for English-language learners

First Known Use of CLAIM

14th century

Related to CLAIM

Synonyms: call, dibs, pretense (or pretence), pretension, right

Antonyms: disavowal

CLAIMING Defined for Kids

¹claim

verb \ˈklām\

claimedclaim·ing

Definition of CLAIM for Kids

: to ask for as something that is a right or is deserved <claim an inheritance> <Be sure to claim credit for your idea.>

: to take as the rightful owner <I claimed my luggage at the airport.>

: to state as a fact : insist to be true <“But our friend the Woggle-Bug claims to be highly educated …” — L. Frank Baum, The Marvelous Land of Oz>

: to cause the end or death of <The disease claimed many lives.>