claim
[ kleym ]
/ kleɪm /
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verb (used with object)
verb (used without object)
to make or file a claim: to claim for additional compensation.
noun
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Idioms about claim
lay claim to, to declare oneself entitled to: I have never laid claim to being an expert in tax laws.
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
synonym study for claim
1. See demand.
historical usage of claim
The English noun claim comes from the verb, which in turn comes from the Old French verb clamer (stem claim- ) “to summon to law, affirm vigorously,” from the Latin verb clāmāre “to shout, accompany with shouts, shout the name of.”
The verb claim originally meant “to assert a legal right, to make a demand for something that is one’s due.” In the 19th century, claim developed a looser, less strict sense, especially in American usage, “to make an unsubstantiated statement; assert or maintain as a fact,” a meaning considered inelegant at that time but also one that occurs in the writings of Chaucer.
The legal term quitclaim meaning “to quit or give up a right or claim” dates from the 14th century in England. The noun claim meaning “a request or demand for payment in accordance with an insurance policy” dates from the 19th century.
Just as we intuitively understand the relationship between claim and quitclaim, it's pretty clear how the words acclaim, reclaim, proclaim, etc., are related in meaning and etymology to claim.
The verb claim originally meant “to assert a legal right, to make a demand for something that is one’s due.” In the 19th century, claim developed a looser, less strict sense, especially in American usage, “to make an unsubstantiated statement; assert or maintain as a fact,” a meaning considered inelegant at that time but also one that occurs in the writings of Chaucer.
The legal term quitclaim meaning “to quit or give up a right or claim” dates from the 14th century in England. The noun claim meaning “a request or demand for payment in accordance with an insurance policy” dates from the 19th century.
Just as we intuitively understand the relationship between claim and quitclaim, it's pretty clear how the words acclaim, reclaim, proclaim, etc., are related in meaning and etymology to claim.
OTHER WORDS FROM claim
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022
How to use claim in a sentence
British Dictionary definitions for claim
claim
/ (kleɪm) /
verb (mainly tr)
noun
Derived forms of claim
claimable, adjectiveclaimer, nounWord Origin for claim
C13: from Old French claimer to call, appeal, from Latin clāmāre to shout
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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Other Idioms and Phrases with claim
claim
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.