claim
Americanverb (used with object)
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claims,
present (3rd person singular)
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claimed,
past participle, past
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claiming
present participle
-
to demand by or as by virtue of a right; demand as a right or as due.
to claim an estate by inheritance.
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to assert and demand the recognition of (a right, title, possession, etc.); assert one's right to.
to claim payment for services.
-
to assert or maintain as a fact.
She claimed that he was telling the truth.
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to require as due or fitting.
to claim respect.
verb (used without object)
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claims,
present (3rd person singular)
-
claimed,
past participle, past
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claiming
present participle
noun
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claims
plural
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a demand for something as due; an assertion of a right or an alleged right.
He made unreasonable claims on the doctor's time.
- Synonyms:
- call, requisition, request
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an assertion of something as a fact.
He made no claims to originality.
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a right to claim or demand; a just title to something.
His claim to the heavyweight title is disputed.
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something that is claimed, especially a piece of public land for which formal request is made for mining or other purposes.
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a request or demand for payment in accordance with an insurance policy, a workers' compensation law, etc..
We filed a claim for compensation from the company.
idioms
verb
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to demand as being due or as one's property; assert one's title or right to
he claimed the record
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(takes a clause as object or an infinitive) to assert as a fact; maintain against denial
he claimed to be telling the truth
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to call for or need; deserve
this problem claims our attention
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to take
the accident claimed four lives
noun
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an assertion of a right; a demand for something as due
-
an assertion of something as true, real, or factual
he made claims for his innocence
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a right or just title to something; basis for demand
a claim to fame
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to assert one's possession of or right to
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anything that is claimed, esp in a formal or legal manner, such as a piece of land staked out by a miner
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law a document under seal, issued in the name of the Crown or a court, commanding the person to whom it is addressed to do or refrain from doing some specified act former name writ 1
-
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a demand for payment in connection with an insurance policy, etc
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the sum of money demanded
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Usage
What does claim mean? To claim something is to maintain that the something is a fact, as in The company claims its product cures hiccups. A claim is the assertion of a fact, as in The claim that Shayna has a beautiful voice was proved when she began to sing. To claim is also to demand one’s right to something, such as to claim payment for a service given. As a noun, this claim can be the demand for that something, such as a claim on your time. Example: My ancestors laid claim to this land decades ago and I don't plan on letting it go any time soon.
Synonym Usage
See demand.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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claimernoun
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superclaimnoun
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misclaimverb (used with object)
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overclaimverb (used with object)
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preclaimverb (used with object)
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claimableadjective
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claimlessadjective
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nonclaimableadjective
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unclaimedadjective
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unclaimingadjective
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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claimsimple
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claimssimple
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have claimedperfect
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has claimedperfect
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am claimingprogressive
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are claimingprogressive
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is claimingprogressive
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have been claimingperfect progressive
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has been claimingperfect progressive
Past
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claimedsimple
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had claimedperfect
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was claimingprogressive
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were claimingprogressive
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had been claimingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of claim
First recorded in 1250–1300; (verb) Middle English claimen, from Anglo-French, Old French claimer, from Latin clāmāre “to cry out”; (noun) Middle English, from Anglo-French, Old French cla(i)me; the noun is derivative of the verb
Explanation
When you express your right to something, you're making a claim to it, like telling your sister, "This bowl of cereal is mine." A claim is when you express your right to something that belongs to you, like your medical records or the deed to your home. When you make a claim or claim something, you're demanding it or saying it’s true. People claim dependents and deductions on their taxes. In court, you could claim you deserve money from an employer who cheated you. You could claim you can juggle chainsaws. With any kind of claim, you're going to have to prove it.
Vocabulary lists containing claim
The SAT: Language of the Test, List 1
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Jim Burke's Academic Vocabulary List
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Argumentative Writing
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
"The biggest difference this year was that I finished university one year ago," said Werro, who saw off Britain's Olympic champion Keely Hodgkinson to claim her continental title in Birmingham earlier this month.
From BBC ● Aug. 26, 2026
I know some publications claim to do this, but I suspect it’s more pro forma than systematic.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 26, 2026
District Judge Lewis Liman awarded Lively $363,000 in attorneys’ fees and another $44,000 in court costs for defending against Baldoni’s defamation claim.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 26, 2026
Now, however, is a good moment to press the claim — Washington and Beijing are currently renegotiating the terms of their trade and financial relationship ahead of next month’s meeting between U.S.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 26, 2026
I remember mourning Grandma’s passing, wallowing in my sadness, only to come to Asamando and meet Ama—and to have her claim to be Grandma.
From "Kwame Crashes the Underworld" by Craig Kofi Farmer
In the United States, Meta still faces thousands of personal injury claims and litigation from school districts, none of which the agreement covers.
From Barron's ● Aug. 26, 2026
Morgan's other claims of unfair dismissal, wrongful dismissal and sex discrimination against her employer were all dismissed.
From BBC ● Aug. 26, 2026
Such changes address the AGs’ core complaints, including claims the judge had tossed under Section 230.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 26, 2026
I assume Meta doesn’t agree with those claims.
From Slate ● Aug. 26, 2026
“Chandresh claims it is modeled after a room belonging to a courtesan in Bombay,” Marco says.
From "The Night Circus" by Erin Morgenstern
They claimed various Meta features encouraged compulsive use and evasion of parental controls.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 26, 2026
But tenants represented in this lawsuit claimed the company “uniformly” failed to provide exact calculations.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 26, 2026
Both YouTube and TikTok in June reportedly settled lawsuits that claimed their platforms harmed a minor’s mental health.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 26, 2026
The attacks were not claimed, but Wheeler said they were a demonstration of militants' capabilities and continued presence, despite massive deployment of Thai security forces.
From Barron's ● Aug. 26, 2026
She claimed she might be too nervous ever to get back in any wagon.
From "The Teacher’s Funeral" by Richard Peck
City of Commerce’s former Mayor Lilia Leon filed a lawsuit Aug. 10 claiming that allowing Altamirano to run again would be “an unconstitutional amendment that invalidates the voter’s right to exercise the initiative power.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 26, 2026
Still, she never shied away from claiming her mountain identity; she never tried to change herself.
From Salon ● Aug. 26, 2026
The states are claiming that Meta violated both state-level and federal laws, though the exact allegations vary by state.
From Barron's ● Aug. 26, 2026
That ruling requires public figures claiming defamation to prove speakers had “actual malice,” meaning they knew the statements were false or else acted with reckless disregard for the truth.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 23, 2026
He'd put a finger on her nose, claiming the distraction helped focus the mind.
From "The Marvellers" by Dhonielle Clayton
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
