claim

American  

[kleym] / kleɪm /

verb (used with object)

1. to demand by or as by virtue of a right; demand as a right or as due.

   to claim an estate by inheritance.

2. to assert and demand the recognition of (a right, title, possession, etc.); assert one's right to.

   to claim payment for services.

3. to assert or maintain as a fact.

   She claimed that he was telling the truth.

4. to require as due or fitting.

   to claim respect.

---

verb (used without object)

1. to make or file a claim.

   to claim for additional compensation.

noun

1. 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

2. an assertion of something as a fact.

   He made no claims to originality.

3. a right to claim or demand; a just title to something.

   His claim to the heavyweight title is disputed.

4. something that is claimed, especially a piece of public land for which formal request is made for mining or other purposes.

5. 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

1. lay claim to, to declare oneself entitled to.

   I have never laid claim to being an expert in tax laws.

claim British  

/ kleɪm /

verb

1. to demand as being due or as one's property; assert one's title or right to

   he claimed the record

2. (takes a clause as object or an infinitive) to assert as a fact; maintain against denial

   he claimed to be telling the truth

3. to call for or need; deserve

   this problem claims our attention

4. to take

   the accident claimed four lives

---

noun

1. an assertion of a right; a demand for something as due

2. an assertion of something as true, real, or factual

   he made claims for his innocence

3. a right or just title to something; basis for demand

   a claim to fame

4. to assert one's possession of or right to

5. anything that is claimed, esp in a formal or legal manner, such as a piece of land staked out by a miner

6. 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

7. 1. a demand for payment in connection with an insurance policy, etc

   2. the sum of money demanded

claim More Idioms  

More idioms and phrases containing claim

• lay claim to
• stake a claim

---

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.

Related Words

See demand.

Other Word Forms

• claimable adjective
• claimer noun
• claimless adjective
• misclaim verb (used with object)
• nonclaimable adjective
• overclaim verb (used with object)
• preclaim verb (used with object)
• superclaim noun
• unclaimed adjective
• unclaiming adjective

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.

Example Sentences

“People today don’t trust who you claim to be,” Pryor said.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 11, 2026

The families of the victims filed a $35-million claim against the county and state fireworks regulators alleging widespread negligence for allowing the illegal operation to continue.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 11, 2026

"There are some people whose reflexive reaction to any kind of major event is to claim it's fake and staged, no matter what it is," Rothschild told AFP.

From Barron's • Apr. 11, 2026

"The most false part of it all is the claim that there are glaciers that do not contribute to rivers. If it's a glacier, it has ice and contributes water. It's very basic," he says.

From BBC • Apr. 10, 2026

“This different perspective you claim to have. It’s interesting. And how did you manage to evade departure to America?”

From "The Bletchley Riddle" by Ruta Sepetys and Steve Sheinkin

Related Words

• allege
• ask
• assert
• believe
• call for
• challenge
• collect
• declare
• defend
• hold
• insist
• need
• take